Fearing to Fly
by Birdi 13 in da house
Summary: Hiccup and Astrid's daughter looks up to them both, but she still wants to be more like her father. However, unfortunately for Freya, some traumatizing experiences make things a lot harder than they should be.
1. Chapter 1

_Many of you may remember Berk from the stories that have been told since its founding. The most recent is the story of a pact formed between two groups that had been warring for seven generations. But now, into the eighth, a new legacy has begun._

_My name is Freya. I'm thirteen and the beginning of the ninth generation. My parents were part of the revolution that changed the whole way of life here. As a matter of fact, they were probably the most involved in the changing of history. My mom, the most renowned warrior of her time, is Astrid. She is almost a raw representation of what it means to be a Viking woman. She fought alongside my father against what she had always known to help change the world as we know it. And where she is the daylight on Viking tradition, my dad is the darkened night. My dad, the viking who befriended the long-time foe of Berk's inhabitants. He befriended a dragon. This specific dragon goes by the name of Toothless, and he's been my dad's best friend since he was fifteen. Yup, that's right, my dad is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Great name, right? Hey, it's better than Fishlegs, one of my dad's friends. But who am I to judge?_

_Berk is quiet, despite the occasional exciting perks that come with dragons. Dad says that it's boring here, besides the skies. Personally, I wouldn't say that; there's always something to do. But after the skies, I can't blame Dad for never wanting to come back to the ground. Actually, it's my dream to become a great dragon rider like him, with a partner that is just as much a friend to me as Toothless is to Dad. There's just one small problem…._

Freya sat against one of the beams of the old guard tower on Berk's main island, overlooking the dark sea. Her wooden whistle was pressed to her lips, a sweet melody drifting through the frigid night air. The tune drifted across the village and through the thick forests, gentling the harsh landscape of such a wild land.

"Mind if I join you?"

Freya's melody slowly wavered away and she tucked her whistle back into her belt. She smiled and gestured that her mother sit next to her, and made space by slinging her legs to the side so that they dangled over the edge of the platform.

"Quiet night." She said softly, her bright green eyes traveling over the cloudy skies.

"Peaceful." Astrid said with a wistful smile.

"It's good to know that we can count on it being quieter from now on," Freya commented, giving her mother a sidelong glance, "Must be nice."

"I won't lie, things were very exciting when I was a kid," Astrid dropped down by her daughter and placed her axe to her other side, "But we're Vikings, we can't stay quiet forever. We get restless."

"But you seem happy now."

"Don't see why not," Astrid tugged Freya closer so that she could tuck an arm around her shoulders, "But your father seems to like it the most."

"Imagine that," Freya's wry tone matched the one her father's voice was so prevalent to, "Dad the peace-maker likes things quiet. I wouldn't have guessed."

"Can you stop that?" Astrid blew her sun-blonde hair out of her face, "People are going to start saying that you have none of me in you at all. That you were born from your father's pure, unmerciful sarcasm."

"Oh, I'm as good at combat as you are, they won't forget. Especially with how much I dislike losing."

"That isn't enough, I promise you. When the time is right, Hiccup is much more competitive than me." Astrid leaned back on her hands, "Which is startling at times."

"Only in the sky. He's pretty intimidated by you, you know." Freya copied her mother and leaned back as well. Astrid half-laughed.

"Ever since we were little. Then he went and got a dragon and then he was the scary one. Turned me upside-down."

"Not for long, I hear." Freya said slyly, giving her mom a sidelong glance. Astrid turned a light shade of pink in the watch fire's light.

"That's a bit different."

"Mom?"

"Yes, Freya?" Astrid's exasperation was apparent, no matter how well she tried to hide it.

"Tell me again?"

"You've heard it a million times."

"Then let's make it a million and one."

"How is your father's proposal to me such a great story?"

"Because it's so…. _him_."

"That didn't make a bit of sense."

"Well, when he's helping train new riders, or protecting something, or out with Toothless, he just seems…. more than human."

"I guess that could make sense, but that still doesn't say why _this_ story."

"Because he's always too embarrassed to tell me."

"That's a better reason. Fair enough," Astrid sighed and stared up at the cloudy sky, "Let's see if I can remember it clearly…."


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup sucked in a deep breath and shoved against the door to Gobber's forge, his arms full of leather strips. His good foot slipped and he half-collapsed onto the ground, only to stop short as a broad, scaly head placed itself perfectly under him.

"Thanks, buddy," Hiccup sighed, pushing himself off of Toothless and looking at the mess around him, "Great…." He stooped to gather the leather up again and found a fair-skinned hand beside his own.

"Need help?" Astrid asked, a bright smile on her face. Hiccup went from fair and freckled to bright red in the span of a few seconds.

"I- Hi, Astrid, hi! Hello…."

"Are you alright?" Astrid looked at him more closely, Toothless peering around her to proceed with the same inspection.

"Fine! Why wouldn't I be fine?" Hiccup scrambled to his feet, leather in hand, "I'll talk to you later, okay? I have to get these- uh… Yeah, I'll see you later." And he disappeared into the forge.

"He hasn't done that to me since we were fifteen," Astrid sighed, crossing her arms and looking down at Toothless, "And he chooses now to freak out for some reason? See if you can talk some sense into him, alright? It's not like I'm going to bite him…"

Toothless snorted and stalked after his friend into the forge, normally square pupils at determined slits. Astrid smiled as the last of that black tail swished out of sight and turned back towards the path that led to the lower terraces of the village.

"Is she gone?" Hiccup hissed to the dragon that had just stuck his head inside Hiccup's small workroom. Toothless responded with a confused croon, making Hiccup sigh and slump onto his stool.

"What?"

Toothless made another confused croon and squeezed into the room, barely fitting. He fixed Hiccup with a hard stare that demanded an explanation.

"Don't give me that look," Hiccup countered, "If you were trying to impress a lady dragon, you'd be feeling the same."

Toothless' ears came up and the confusion deepened to a whole new degree. Astrid and Hiccup had been doing that dance for years now. Why was Hiccup so nervous all of a sudden?

"For the love of…. Okay, look," Hiccup tilted his stool so that he was leaning against the wall and sighed, "With us humans, we bond for life. With one…. mate. With me so far?"

Toothless gave an affirmative nod and plopped down on his belly, his attention fully on Hiccup.

"So, there's that. But there's a much more complicated bit that comes before it. The male has to indicate that he would be interested in bonding for the rest of his life with that female."

Toothless fixed him with a stare that pointed out that Hiccup had been pretty much doing this for years.

"Now comes the not so easy part," Hiccup gave his best friend a miserable stare, "The male has to word it so that she knows he's been thinking about it. And then she has to accept. That's the thing. Astrid has to…. well, agree. But I don't-"

Toothless interrupted by nipping at Hiccup's good foot and giving him an indignant snort, pointing out that he really didn't think that Hiccup had anything to worry about.

"And you would figure that how?" The man asked, glowering into Toothless' yellow-green eyes, "What would you know about human females?"

Toothless heaved a heavy sigh and gathered a small ball of flame into the back of his throat, then effectively shot off the legs of Hiccup's stool, dumping said person straight into his grasp. Toothless laid a heavy leg across Hiccup's middle and glared into the man's bright green eyes.

"That was totally uncalled for-!" Hiccup was interrupted as Toothless let out a fierce growl. The dragon edged his claws into Hiccup's shirt, making sure that his point was made with a glare that asked if he was clear.

"Crystal clear…." Hiccup said quietly, knowing that Toothless wouldn't hurt him perminantly, but wasn't about to take any chances.

With a satisfied rumble, Toothless edged off of his friend and gave him enough space to let Hiccup place his hands on Toothless' head and push himself up.

"I'll ask her tomorrow, maybe…. Right now-"

Toothless' growl had returned, and in higher ferocity.

"Um…. Tonight, then?"

It still wasn't enough to satisfy the Night Fury. The dragon took a nip at Hiccup's leg, making him dodge towards the door. Another nip sent him out of it and into the main forge.

"Okay! Okay! I'll ask her now!" Hiccup stumbled against an anvil. He caught something out of the corner of his eye and dove to his left, just missing Gobber's hammer as it came down where his head had been.

"Well, innacha a lucky one today?" The smith said with sickening cheerfulness, "And who will you be askin' what?"

"Nothing," Hiccup muttered, pushing himself to his feet, "Do you need help with that?" He indicated Gobber's freshly made mold for spearheads. Gobber raised an eyebrow at Toothless' irritated growl.

"And what are you dodgin' that ye'r beast wants done so badly?"

"Nothing!" Hiccup protested, having trouble hiding his reddening face in the light from the fire. Toothless' growl gained some strength.

"Does this possibly have somethin' to do with _Astrid_?" Gobber asked slyly, "Because I was hearin' a rumor around that one of the other boys was out to ask her somethin' tonight."

"Like what?" Hiccup's head shot up, green eyes narrowed fiercely, "Who's asking her what?"

"I don't know, it was just a rumor heard by my passing ear, tha's all." Gobber pretended to wipe the sweat off his face so he could hide his grin. Five years since he had become a hero hadn't done Hiccup much good for his self-esteem around Astrid, no matter how blatantly obvious she had made it that she liked him. Hiccup had sprouted like a weed, but hadn't managed to bulk out like his father had at his age. He remained slender and lanky; an awkward shape among all the other Vikings of Berk. But it only benefitted his partnership with Toothless, who had reached a larger size and would be able to maintain the speeds a Night Fury could with a lighter rider.

Gobber snorted and gave the dragon a look.

"I think I understand, and you're right. 'E best be getting on the job, am I right?"

Toothless snorted and went back to glowering at Hiccup, who was glaring at both the smith and the dragon.

"So, you've recruited him now, too? Is that it? What's next? My fath- You know what, we're not going there." Hiccup hobbled over to an empty table and hoisted himself onto it so he could sit.

"Hiccup, I wouldn't go against the dragon for long. I distinctly recall someone once telling me that they're very headstrong and opinionated beasts."

Toothless agreed with a low growl.

"Now, about what words you may be havin' with our pretty young Astrid-"

"Okay! Okay! I'm leaving! I'm gone!" Hiccup threw himself off of the table and stalked out of the forge. Toothless gave Gobber a gratified look, then trotted out after the young man, trying not to knock too many things over in his wake.

"Do you really have to recruit everyone you know will bully me into this?" Hiccup asked Toothless as they walked up the ramp towards the top of the guard tower. Toothless gave him an exhasperated sigh and went on ahead, leaving Hiccup in the middle of the ramp.

"Hopeless reptile…." Hiccup grumbled, only to get a glower over a black wing that asked who the true hopeless one was.

"Yeah, yeah…." Hiccup followed the dragon up to the top of the tower, staring wistfully at the sky. Toothless caught his stare and edged a little closer, pressing a side against Hiccup's leg. Hiccup looked down and smiled when Toothless jerked a head towards the sky.

"You got it, Bud." Hiccup said, throwing a leg with ease over the dragon's back. Toothless gave him a moment to slide on his harness and throw the iron rings onto the hooks before shoving off the ground with a vicious kick that shot them into the sky.

Astrid ambled around the village, mind rolling with thoughts of Hiccup's strange attitude that morning. He'd been completely fine for years. He hadn't been anxious at all in being sweet and thoughtful. He'd know exactly when to ask if she wanted to talk, or rather, shut up and race her across the sky instead. He'd surprise her every now and then with flowers she knew grew only on the top of Berk's highest peak. He'd open doors for her and offer her his cloak if she was even the slightest bit cold. And now he was acting like they were fifteen again and she was the most terrifying thing on the island.

Astrid shuffled to her house where her Nadder was dozing in the light of the sun. She dropped down next to it and slung an arm over the creature's neck, scratching at the dry scales. The sky-blue dragon produced a contented hum and leaned into her touch.

"Why are boys so weird?" She asked it, "I thought they grew out of this sort of thing." When the only response the dragon could give her was a continuing of its hum, she smiled and leaned against it, letting the sun bathe her as well with its warming light.

Astrid opened her eyes when she heard a defiant roar from above her, followed by Hiccup's yelled protests. She jumped when Toothless came crashing to the ground in front of her, having some sort of argument with the rider on his back.

"What is wrong with you- Oh. Hi, Astrid."

"Hello, Hiccup," Astrid smiled sweetly, "Nice day for a ride?"

Hiccup shook his wind-swept auburn hair out of his face and gave her that shy, awkward grin of his. "The winds higher up are a bit rough, but if you feel like skimming the water, it's a smooth breeze from here to the Gate. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're looking at me funny too," Astrid said, raising an eyebrow, "Care to tell me why?"

"Ahhh…. Hey!" Hiccup yelled as Toothless gave him a vicious shake that popped him off his seat, "Ow!" Hiccup looked up and sighed in frustration. Toothless had been a little careless and managed to take Hiccup's replacement foot with him.

"Oh dear…." Astrid said with a smile at the beet-red Hiccup.

"Well, _that's_ not embarrassing at all." Hiccup grumbled, tugging his foot out of its lock on Toothless' saddle and trying to fix it back onto his leg.

"Here, let me help." Astrid scooted over so that she was next to him and rolled up his pant leg so that she could see what she was doing.

"You don't have to-"

"Shush." Astrid took his artificial foot from him and lined it up so that it would be on straight and gave his leg a tug.

"Ouch!"

"Don't be such a sissy," Astrid teased, "You might be doing this for me one day."

"I hope not!" Hiccup protested, "It's not exactly fun!"

"I'd believe it. Must give you cold feet at night."

"Not to say anything about what it's like in the winter…." Hiccup grumbled.

"Ha!"

Hiccup jumped, his eyes shooting to Astrid's sky blue ones.

"Um…"

"You started talking to me like a normal person again," Astrid proclaimed proudly, "I was beginning to think you were hiding from me."

"Hi-hiding? Why would I do that?"

"Exactly what I'd like to know."

"Oh, I wasn't- Hey!" Hiccup protested as Toothless butted him with his broad head.

"What's he not telling me?" Astrid asked the black dragon, who glared daggers at Hiccup and gave an angry snort.

"It's nothing!" Hiccup protested, throwing himself to his feet, "I just forgot to… Right, I'll- uh, I'll see you later!" He turned and tried to march off, Toothless giving a forlorn croon to his back.

"Um, okay…. I'll see you later then." Astrid said, heart falling a little. She smiled weakly when Toothless curled up at her side, indicating the dragon would be with her until Hiccup changed his mind and came back. She heard his footsteps cease, then a conflicted pacing back and forth before he returned, his face so deep a red that his freckles were out of sight.

"Um, Astrid?"

"Yes, Hiccup?"

"Can I, uh, can I ask you something?" He cleared his throat and held out a hand to help her up. She took it and let him pull her to her feet.

"Didn't you ask me something just now?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Hiccup sighed, "I meant something a little more serious."

Astrid's stomach dropped and she stared into his eyes, stifling all questions and giving him her full attention. It had been almost a year ago that he had managed to whisper those three short words under the dark sky, sending chills down her spine. If he meant a serious talk, it was serious.

"Um, so… I know that-" Hiccup was interrupted as Toothless gave him a hard nudge, "I know that I'm a bit difficult to put up with- Okay, Toothless, stop," Hiccup dodged his dragon's most recent attempt to give him another nudge and returned his gaze to her, "Astrid?"

"Yes?"

"Would you…. Would-"

"Can't even cough the words up, Hiccup? And how many years were you with me in the forge?" Gobber asked, appearing from around the corner of Astrid's house.

"Why don't we just call out the whole village now?" Hiccup protested, "I'll even go up to the speaking platform! Just to make sure the whole island can hear me!"

"Ah-hem," Gobber whacked the back of Hiccup's head with his good hand, "Now, how about you take our young Astrid's hand again?" Hiccup swallowed and offered his hand, which Astrid took without hesitation.

"Astrid."

"Yes, Gobber?" Somehow, the romance had leaked out of the moment…..

"What Hiccup means to say, is that, despite his clumsiness and inability to say anything important,"

"Thank you, Gobber." Hiccup hissed, his red hue holding strong.

"And his strange inventions, and stranger way of looking at things….,"

"Gobber, seriously-"

"Would you be willing to put up with that," Gobber raised an eyebrow at Toothless, who was pacing restlessly while giving him pointed stares, "And a zealous Night Fury, for the rest of your life?"

"I have been so far, haven't I?" Astrid asked, wincing as soon as she said it. She knew, somehow, she'd made things worse.

"Well, he means a little more-"

"_Thank you_, Gobber, you've done enough damage." Hiccup interrupted, green eyes narrowed. Toothless snorted and Gobber made his exit, a sly grin on his face.

"Oh gods…." Hiccup rubbed his face with both hands.

"Is something wrong?" Astrid asked, glancing at Toothless, who was pressing up against Hiccup's side, as if to give him strength. Hiccup took a deep breath and took Astrid's hand with both of his.

"Before I lose what little nerve I have left…..," He mumbled before clearing his throat, "Astrid, would you be willing to put up with me for the rest of your life as…. as your-" Hiccup would never finish that sentence as Astrid socked him hard on the arm.

"That's for not asking sooner." She said, sky blue eyes narrowed. Hiccup's bewildered stare was interrupted as she tugged him into a kiss that left his insides like warm water.

"Um…."

"That means 'yes'," She whispered, "Now, why don't we go have a talk with your dad?"

"I like the sound of that…." Hiccup managed to stumble out, giving her another awkward grin. Astrid smiled and laced her fingers with his as they started up the sloping hill towards the Great Hall.


	3. Chapter 3

"Was Dad always like that around you?"

"Well, not always. He'd gotten a little bolder with Toothless around, but he still acted like a twelve-year-old when we were alone."

"Especially when you give him that smile he talks about all the time." Freya said, picking at the boards beside her. Astrid gave her a bewildered look.

"Smile?"

"He says it melts him all the way through," Freya frowned, "But every time I do anything remotely like it, he starts worrying for the safety of the village."

"Imagine that…." Astrid said under her breath, making Freya's frown deepen.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Astrid blew a ring from the steam in her breath, followed by another, "Nothing at all."

"How do you _do_ that?" Freya blew out a breath, gaining only a stream of white cloud.

"Years of practice."

"I'm sure."

The two were silent for the longest of times before Freya's patience broke and she pulled her whistle from her belt and picked up her melody where she'd left off. Knowing the tune from years of hearing it, Astrid hummed along, eyes closed in contentment.

Before long, Freya's song came to a sharp halt and the girl scrambled to her feet. Astrid looked up, following her daughter's gaze to see what she was squinting at in the distance.

"Is that Toothless?"

"Hard to tell at night."

"Look for the red on the tail."

"Ah. Yeah, that's Dad."

"What's Toothless carrying?" Astrid asked, trying to make out the thing bundled between Toothless' powerful legs.

"It looks like…."

Freya never finished her sentence as the dragon glided to the guard tower and landed roughly on the top platform. Astrid scrambled to her feet and hit the ramp running, Freya on her heels.

"Hiccup?" She reached the top platform and stopped so fast that Freya ran straight into her back.

"Mom? What's- Odin's eye, what is that?"

"More like 'who'?" Hiccup said quietly, unhooking his artificial foot from Toothless' saddle and sliding to the ground, "We've been carrying him for about a league. Found him half drowned, ruins of a ship around him."

"Dragon boat?" Astrid asked, eyes narrowing.

"If it was, it was not one of ours," Hiccup sighed and grabbed a handle Toothless' saddle, pulling himself to his feet, "Had a boar's head on the sails."

"He looks…. different." Freya said quietly, toying with a strand of auburn hair and staring from behind her mother.

"Well, not many of us have black hair," Hiccup admitted, holding out an arm for Freya to be embraced with, "We get close, but not black."

"What color are his eyes?"

"Don't ask me. He was hardly conscious when we picked him up," Hiccup hugged his daughter tightly, Toothless nudging against his back, "Yes, yes, here you go…." He pushed Freya lightly towards the great black beast and watched as it nosed her and rubbed against her side like an over-sized cat.

"Why were you out so far?" Astrid asked suddenly, making Hiccup jump.

"Ah…. Snotlout said he saw some light farther out, but his dragon was done for the day. It couldn't make the distance."

"You may have the fastest dragon, Hiccup, but not the strongest." Astrid said fiercely, ignoring Toothless' defensive growl.

"I- Ah…." Hiccup took an involuntary step back as Astrid jabbed a finger into his chest.

"So, you think it's funny to risk yourselves on something that isn't our business? You could have died out there. Look at Toothless! He's completely finished! You wouldn't have made another mile! Don't you give me that!" Astrid snarled, rounding on the dragon after he had made an indignant snort. Toothless hid his large head the best he could behind Freya's small frame and whimpered, ears drooping.

"Mom…. Calm down," Freya said quietly, "You'll wake up the other dragons…."

"I-," Astrid hesitated, eyes fixed on her daughter, who had placed a shaking hand on Toothless' head, and sighed, "Sorry, Freya. I was just-"

"Worried." Freya finished for her, winking at her father, who was letting out a sigh of relief. He gave her a crooked smile back before giving Toothless' ear an affectionate tweak.

"Let's take this one down to get looked at. Freya, can you wake Gobber up? We'll need his worktable. Astrid, the Elder?"

"We'll discuss this later," Astrid hissed, "Don't think we won't." And she turned on her heel, stalking down the ramp.

"What's got her axe twisted?" Hiccup mumbled as he slung the boy over Toothless' back.

"You brought someone home for dinner without a warning in advance."

"We only need one of me in this village, missy. You're going to make Grandpa cry if you end up like his abnormal son."

"Oh, he got over it." Freya sighed, tossing her hair and leading their little group down the ramp.

"He's still getting over it," Hiccup said, rolling his eyes, "You're not making it any easier."

"I'm a girl," Freya stopped on the lower level to gather up Astrid's axe before continuing down the ramp, "It's my job to make things complicated."

"The only reason I'm glad I don't have a son is because I'd have even more difficulty raising a boy…" Hiccup grumbled, mussing up Freya's hair.

"Obviously I'm not working hard enough."

"Oh, no you don't." Hiccup grabbed her by the back of her belt and tugged her behind him.

"I don't what?"

"Don't worry about it," Hiccup said as Stoick came stomping out from the dark, "Hi, Dad."

"I hear you brought a new pet home."

"Not quite," Hiccup showed him the boy, "I found him in a shipwreck about a league out. He was the only one still alive."

"He's not from this far North," Stoick observed, "His skin isn't fair enough. He comes from a place with more sun," Stoick's eyes narrowed and he looked up into Hiccup's, "What were you doing out so far?"

"Oh, for the love of-! Can we talk this over later? Right now, I'm thinking about keeping a kid from freezing to death? Does that sound the slightest bit humane?"

"I'll get some blankets," Stoick turned, stopped, then locked eyes with his son, "We _will_ talk about this."

"Good grief, alright, alright! Can we get moving along with this now?"

"I'll be back." And Stoick returned to the dark. Freya glanced between her father and the shadows into which her grandfather had vanished, then made her exit by trotting off towards Gobber's house.

When she reached the door, she picked up a nearby rock and pounded it on the door.

"Gobber?"

"What?" Came the muffled reply from inside; the sounds of a cranky Viking.

"We need your help."

"Is tha sun up yet?"

"No."

"Go away."

"Gobber, Hiccup asked for you specifically."

"Beard of Thor, why does he always- Alright, alright. Wha' does he want?"

"We need to get into the forge."

"It's no' that hard."

"And we need someone who knows how to work all the equipment. _And_ can understand what the Elder says." Freya sighed. The was a long silence, then the door opened to show Gobber, fully dressed.

"Wha' limb did he lose this time?"

"What?"

"Your father."

"He didn't lose any," Freya said tartly, "And you sound like you want him to. Feeling lonely being the only one with interchangeable hands?"

"Most certainly not, Miss Sassy. Now, wha' do yeh want?"

"Dad brought home a shipwreck survivor and needs your work table." Freya said, leading the smith to the forge next door, "Not to mention, no fire gets hotter than the forge fire, and the waters are cold around here."

"Wouldn't he have said somethin' if a ship was so close by?"

"The wreck was a league out-"

"What was he doin' out that far?"

"Okay, seriously?" Hiccup said from the door to the forge, "Are we all done with this now?"

"Ah, there yeh are!" Gobber said enthusiastically, "Alright plunk 'em down on the table then. You," Gobber pointed at Toothless, then the forge fireplace, "Make yourself useful."

Toothless responded with an indignant snort, but trotted over to the forge anyways, waiting patiently for Freya to finish piling it high with wood. Once she had, he shot one well-aimed fireball into the center of the pile and nodded in satisfaction as it lept into an enthusiastic blaze.

Freya edged over towards the table where Gobber and Hiccup had finished laying the boy on his back.

He had dark hair, and his skin was a sun-kissed brown, like Stoick had said. His face was slightly slimmer than most of the population of Berk, but rounder than Hiccup's thin face. He wasn't quite as lightly built as her father either, but was at the age where he was still likely to bulk out a bit more. His lips and the tips of his fingers were blue from the cold ocean's waters, and possibly colder ride back to Berk, and he was shivering violently.

"He'd be warmer if we got him out of those clothes," Hiccup said, "They're retaining water and it's only getting colder at this hour."

"Right. Le's drag the table closer to the fire an' strip him off," Gobber said, before giving Freya a sharp glance, "Girls out. Now."

Freya didn't need told twice. She shot out the door and waited for Astrid to arrive with the Elder.

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Okay, I can't say enough how flattered I am at how many of you there are. I was not expecting this kind of welcome back to the fanfic community at all. But in less than a week I've had over 265 hits from 18 countries and I am thrilled. I've also received both helpful messages and flattering feedback, which really helps me as a writer. So, I spent the day trying to get out another chapter for all of you to read. So, here it is, earlier than I thought it would be, and enjoy! All reviews are good reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

"He's warmed up a bit, if you want to go see him." Hiccup told Freya as he crouched down beside her place at the doorway to the forge.

"And why would I?"

"You seemed a little worried, and curious," He shrugged, "He's all wrapped up now, so you're not risking anything by just taking a look."

"Hmph."

"No point denying it, I saw you practically chewing on the doorway."

"I-," Freya glared at her father with borderline malice, then sighed, "Fine, so I was a little worried."

"And?"

"_And..._ I would have hated for him to get this far, only to die because there wasn't enough left in him to keep himself alive."

"Sounds like worrying to me."

"Hmph."

"Suit yourself. But the sun's going to be coming up soon, and you know how that is."

Freya shuddered at the thought of mornings in Berk and vanished into the forge. Hiccup sighed and stared at the clearing sky, a worried and pensive look on his face.

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Freya edged closer to the table, eyes shadowed against the flickering light of the fire. From what she could see, the boy was wrapped up tightly in layers of blankets, a rosy glow just barely starting to creep into his cheeks. His dark hair had begun to dry and hung around his face in a light frame.

"He's a strange one, isn't he?" Freya asked Toothless, who had joined her in inspecting their guest. Toothless snorted in agreement.

Freya reached out to brush a stray strand of hair back from the boy's face, but snatched it back when he opened his eyes. They wandered for a bit before coming to rest on Freya. Green eyes locked with steel gray for what felt like forever. Finally, the boy croaked, cleared his throat and tried again.

"Wh-where?"

"You're on Berk. An island farther north than almost anywhere. Where are you from?"

"Less cold than here…" He mumbled, closing his eyes. Freya panicked, knowing what that the boy's body would shut down if she let him sleep now.

"Ah….. What's your name?"

"Adrian….." He was starting to fade.

"Adrian! Adrian, listen," Freya shook him, making his eyes open again, "You need to stay awake."

"So tired…." He tried to close his eyes, making Freya give him another hard shake.

"You have to stay awake! If you don't, you'll _die_! You have to!"

"Die?" Adrian managed to force himself to keep from letting exhaustion take hold completely, suddenly having an invested interest in what she was saying.

"Yes! The cold- the cold, it chills your body until it tries to shut down. If you let it rest, you'll be resting forever."

"Cold? Cold…. Ice…. Water…. Island?"

"Yes, island!" Freya said, trying to keep him awake and thinking.

"Island…. Berk….. Berk!" Adrian forced himself to sit upright, "The demon island!"

"What?"

"The demons!" Adrian grabbed her shoulders, his grip strong, but it faltered quickly, "We have to leave! The demons here-! The winged monsters-! We don't have sufficient force to take the island, we need to go!"

"Demons?" Freya pushed his hands off of her, "Do you mean the dragons?"

"Yes! We have to leave!"

"Um….," Freya glanced down at Toothless, who gave her his dragon shrug, "Well, there _are_ dragons…. But they aren't all that-"

She was interrupted as Toothless placed his front feet on the table and pulled himself up to where Adrian could see his broad, dark head and could meet his wide yellow-green eyes.

"Well, they aren't all that… demonic."

"Dra-dragon….." Adrian whispered, gray eyes locked on the dark creature before him.

"Yes," Freya scratched Toothless behind an ear, "This one rescued you. Him and my dad."

"But they- Dragons are….. Oh…." And he fainted.

"Dad! Dad!" Freya bolted out of the forge to call back those that had been taking care of Adrian previously.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hiccup sat beside Adrian, chaffing one cold hand to try to get the circulation up again. When he heard a moan, he flapped a hand at Toothless, who treated him to a grumpy snort, then trotted out of the room.

"Welcome back, little fish." He said as Adrian's gray eyes slowly opened.

"F-fish?" Adrian sputtered.

"Well, you _were_ doing an admirable job when I got there. You passed out just after Toothless got you out of the water."

"Toothless?" Adrian asked, "That's a strange name- Oh no….."

"Wha- Oh," Hiccup glared at the Terrible Terrors that were perched on the anvil nearby, trying to get a better look at their guest, "One minute."

"Why- Um, what?"

"I got it," Hiccup grabbed one of the little dragons and tossed him lightly out the door, "You should know better!" He said sternly to the others, "Really. Out."

With a couple of rude noises, the dragons took flight and exited the forge.

"Sorry about that," Hiccup returned to sitting by Adrian, an awkward smile on his face, "We don't really get tourists, so new people are, well…." He shrugged.

"Am I dead?" Adrian asked suddenly. Hiccup stifled a laugh.

"No, you're very much alive. Though you did try your best."

"So there was an angel….." Adrian said quietly, frowning a little.

"A…. a what?" Hiccup asked, raising one eyebrow.

"An angel. She was lovely," Adrian sighed, "She was trying to keep me alive…."

"Hrm… An….angel…. And what did this angel look like?" Hiccup asked.

"She was about my age, I think," Adrian frowned thoughtfully, "She had this long red-brown hair framing her face, and the most amazing green eyes…"

"Oh did she?" Hiccup managed to choke out, fighting back a laugh.

"Um…. Now that I think about it…. Er, they were kind of like yours," Adrian blushed a little, "Well, this is awkward."

Hiccup lost his match with the laughter in his chest.

"Boy, that was my daughter," He chuckled, "She was in here earlier this morning. She almost slapped you to try to wake you up."

"Oh."

"You're lucky I stopped her. She hits a lot like her mother."

"Oh?"

"Er, Astrid is kind of a human valkyrie…."

"Your wife?"

"Yes. Freya is my daughter's name."

"Pretty name."

"Whose name?" Freya asked from the doorway, a bundle of cloth tucked under her arm.

"Nothing," Hiccup shook his head, "Surprising that you're here at this time of day."

"I saw you pitch out the Terrors," Freya shrugged, her long braid sliding off her shoulder, "Figured it was safe to assume that he was awake."

"Indeed. What's that you got there?" Hiccup gestured to the cloth under her arm.

"Oh," Freya glanced at it, then turned a deep red, "Um… Some of Grandpa's old clothes…. From his preteen years…."

"They're still in one piece?"

"Yeah," Freya glanced shyly at Adrian, then looked away, "Figured he could… Well… Clothes."

"Wait, what?" Adrian sat up, holding his blanket tight around his shoulders.

"Here!" Freya tossed the clothes to her father before trying to bolt. Hiccup's hand shot out and he grabbed her by the belt.

"Freya."

"Yes?" The girl swallowed nervously, green eyes wide.

"Is there a reason you're skittish?"

"Do I need one at this time of day?"

"Ah! He's awake!" Gobber had joined them now, disgustingly cheerful.

"Ahhh….." Adrian's gray eyes jumped from the slight Freya to the large Gobber.

"Adrian, yes?" Hiccup asked, to which the boy nodded, "This is Gobber, the smith."

"Good mornin' laddy!" Gobber came over to thump Adrian on the back.

"And you've met Freya." Freya nodded, which Adrian returned. Her greeting acknowledged, Freya returned to studying the toes of her boots.

"And I'm Hiccup," Hiccup offered the boy a hand, which he hesitantly took, "Welcome to Berk."

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Alright y'all, here's the next installment. Read, enjoy and review! :)


	5. Six Weeks Later

Six Weeks Later…..

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Freya glanced up at the guard tower as she passed by, and gave in to a small smile.

Adrian had finally branched out from hiding behind her every time he stepped outside, to following Hiccup around like a lost duckling. And considering the circumstances, she couldn't blame him. It was as plain as day that he'd never been around dragons before, and Hiccup was the local expert. Who also happened to have the dragon that understood humans the best. Freya had to admit, she hadn't minded taking care of their guest; he was immensely polite and very helpful. Yet Freya had a suspicion that his good behavior had also branched from the desire to not be left among the scaly inhabitants of Berk unsupervised. A thing she understood just perfectly.

"Dad'll take good care of him," Freya told herself as she forced herself to continue along her way, "He'll have Adrian settled in no time."

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"So…. how do you all, well…. Y'know…."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I do," Hiccup replied to Adrian, "You might have to clarify."

"Well…," Adrian cleared his throat, fidgeting with a smooth stone in his hand, "How do you and the…. the dragons…. get along so well?"

"It took a little work," Hiccup admitted, absentmindedly scratching Toothless, who was curled up beside him, behind an ear, "And a little drama." He grimaced.

"Drama?" Adrian's eyebrow shot up, "How could drama accomplish anything?"

"Well," Hiccup nodded his head towards his replacement foot, watching as Adrian's eyes got wide, "It takes a little show of teamwork, and me and Toothless had to go a little far to do it."

"Is that how he lost his-" Adrian stopped as Hiccup shook his head quickly, glancing at the dragon, whose ears had come up.

"No, no…. That was, er…. a previous incident."

"Oh."

"No, that's how we became friends," Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes at the comment, "Indirectly, anyhow. It started a little rough."

"Uh…" Adrian glanced between the two, confusion plain on his face.

"We started by trying to kill each other," Hiccup sighed, "Then we became friends."

"Something tells me that there's a much longer story behind this…." Adrian grumbled. He blushed when Hiccup started to chuckle.

"Remind me to tell you sometime. I might be able to untangle you better then."

"Why not now?" Adrian complained, his interest perked.

"Because you wanted to ask me something else when you came up here," Hiccup said matter-of-factly, "Then you got sidetracked when you saw me bickering with a dragon."

"It's… a bit of a strange sight." Adrian admitted.

"I can imagine. Unfortunately, I can't ponder on it because I have to do it regularly."

"Is it hard being the chief dragon…. um, communicator. Translator. Person?"

"Yeah, there isn't really a title," Hiccup swallowed a laugh, "I tend to just call it a 'go to' occupation."

"But isn't your job to train riders?"

"Well, yes," Hiccup nodded, "But a big part of that is understanding how dragons think. That's how you can get riders and dragons to become teammates. They need to understand one another."

"Oh…," Adrian fidgeted with the laces on his boots, "I was raised thinking that they were savage animals with no feelings."

"So was I."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, it's true," Hiccup shrugged, "Seven generations fighting each other, then a freak like me comes along."

"I don't think you're a freak!" Adrian protested, "I-"

"Adrian."

"Yes?"

"Breathe. I'm not looking for approval; I don't need you to keep me happy. You're free to speak your mind. We're not keeping you to kiss up to us."

"Y-you aren't?" Adrian blurted out before he could stop himself. He turned bright red and flinched, as if expecting a blow.

"Where in the name of Odin's beard do you come from where people treat you like that?" Hiccup asked, bewildered.

"Somewhere far away." Adrian said stiffly, eyes going cold. It wasn't anything new to Hiccup. Anytime Adrian was asked about his life before Hiccup had found him in Berk's waters, he clammed up just like this. He was still civil, and could talk, but he made it clear through short, uninformative answers that his past life was something he'd rather forget. And the look in his steel grey eyes was the same: pain. And anger. A lot of anger.

"Anyhow…. What was your question?" Hiccup asked, changing the subject.

"Oh," Adrian took a deep breath, "I was just…. Well, I mean… I know it's stupid, but could… If it's not too much trouble-"

"Adrian." Hiccup said, biting back a sigh. The boy tended to babble when he was nervous, didn't he?

"Teach me about dragons."

"W-"

"I didn't mean that like an order!" Adrian protested quickly, falling silent when Hiccup raised a hand.

"What I was going to say was 'what do you want to know'?"

"Oh…" Adrian dragged a hand through his black hair, "Well… I don't really know. I mean, I'd like to understand them. I just don't want to ride them. Not that I don't think you'd be a good teacher! You have a lot of experience, I'm sure-"

"Adrian….."

"Sorry." The boy ducked his head.

"It's perfectly fine to learn about dragons and not want to ride one. Several of the villagers are like that. Mostly the mothers," Hiccup's voice got quieter as he mumbled to Toothless, "They use them as carriers instead…."

Toothless gave an indignant snort and stretched, yawning widely. Hiccup glanced up to see Adrian tucking away a smile. Obviously the boy's hearing was better than he'd thought.

"So, dragons, hm?"

"Wait, we start now? Do I need to get anything? A piece of paper-"

"Adrian."

"Yes?"

"No, you don't. I'll start with the simple stuff. And there isn't going to be a test, so calm down."

"Sorry….," Adrian shrugged sheepishly, "I just didn't think…. Well-"

"Before you go off again, can I at least know what you want to know about first? That way I can have an answer ready when you run out of air." Hiccup said. Adrian turned bright red and stared at the boards beneath him.

"L-let's just start with the basics," He smiled weakly, "Assuming there's basics?"

"Plenty," Hiccup said, "Well go a species at a time. And since we have a fine specimen right here," He pointed to Toothless, whose ears came up and eyes opened, "We can begin with Night Furies."

Adrian and Hiccup bit back a laugh as Toothless began to preen.

"So, the important thing to remember when dealing with Night Furies is…" 

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Freya hesitated at the edge of the footbridge that led towards the arena and buildings beyond. She had been headed to the Elder's home, but now she couldn't remember why.

"Oh rats…." She hissed. With a deep sigh, she sank onto the railing and sat, with her head in her hands. She couldn't even remember if it had been important.

Freya glanced up when she heard loud voices, and gave Gobber a weak smile as he passed by with a group of kids her age, headed to the arena for their next step in rider training.

"What day, Gobber?" She asked.

"Partnerin' today," He said cheerfully, "An' what are you up ta, missy?"

"Well, I was going to the Elder's," She grimaced, "But now I can't remember why."

"Wow, that's intelligent." A boy drawled from the middle of the group. Freya's eyes narrowed and she was about to fix him with her most malice-filled stare, when Gobber cuffed him from behind.

"Watch it, or I'll make you go first." He threatened. The boy silenced immediately. Everyone knew going first meant being the person who had to set a good example and put dragons in the right mood. If anyone messed that up, the whole day had to be put off, in case the dragons started with a negative attitude. Freya had bets that Ariela, the smallest and youngest of the group would go first. Dragons had always had an affinity for the girl, and she got along with them just as well. And from the look on Gobber's face when she glanced at the girl, then raised an eyebrow at him, he'd been planning on it too. The girl had never had the Viking traits of intensity and aggression, but no one had ever thought less of her because she was great to have around the stubborn scaly inhabitants of Berk.

"Well, you'd best be off, shouldn't you?" Freya asked, "Partnering can take days, and the sooner you can get everybody sorted through, the better."

"Aye, tha's true," Gobber admitted, "Off you lot go then! I'll be along shortly!"

With groaning protests, the group of kids ambled down the bridge, whispering in fear and excitement. Freya couldn't blame them; dragons _could_ be unpredictable. It's what made them so exciting to live around. A little too exciting.

"Are you gon' ta be alright?" Gobber asked her in a low voice. Freya laughed, a hoarse and miserable sound.

"I've accepted the fact that I'm probably never going to fly, Gobber," The bitter undertone in her voice was almost completely masked, "What's to worry about?"

"Oh, jus' the fact tha' you're so affected by it," Gobber said, raising an eyebrow, "To those of us tha' know, young miss, we can plainly see how it gets to yeh."

"Don't you worry about me," She smiled wryly, "You have an entire armful of kids to worry about. Two, in fact. There's a lot of them this time around."

"Aye, _that_ there is….," Gobber complained, "I'm getting too old for this."

"Don't tell my dad that," Freya called as Gobber turned to head down the bridge as well, "He might start thinking you've gotten too soft to deal with teenagers!"

"Never!" Gobber called back, raising an arm in farewell.

"Yeah, right." Freya mumbled, knowing very well that Gobber was plenty soft towards a few select kids. She knew her dad had been one. Same with Ariela. Hel's throne, even she might be one; though he was darned good at hiding it sometimes. Probably saw too much of her mother in her.

Freya jumped. Her mother! _That's_ what she'd been up to. But why?

"Oh… Hammer of Thor, you _must_ be kidding," Freya sighed, "Now I have to remember what." 

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

She couldn't remember how long she'd been there when she started to hear some strange noises, mostly coming from the arena. She'd been hearing the normal sounds of dragons being silly and frisky, sometimes feigning intimidation. Dragons enjoyed pushing buttons, and new riders were their favorites. But now she heard shouting, angry shouting, and some protests. 

Then she heard the roar.

"Odin, Thor and Freyja, no!" Freya shot upright, invoking even more gods or goddesses she could think of that participated in battle, "No, no, no, no, no…."

"You stupid animal!" She heard shouted from the ring.

"Gods…." Freya groaned. Someone had insulted a dragon, and now all manner of trouble was about to cut loose. Freya patted up and down her sides, swallowing nervously when her hand hit the whip coiled in her belt. She scooped up the thin end and checked the counter weights that made it easier to wrap around things. Not heavy enough.

"This is going to be a horrible day….," She told herself, then took a shaky breath, "And it starts now…."

She ran down the bridge, the boards echoing her footsteps with loud 'thuds'. When she heard a horrified yell, she kicked it into a sprint. Where in Hel's throne was Gobber?

Then she saw him, limping as fast as he could towards the ring. He'd left it for some reason or another, leaving a bunch of dumb kids among creatures that weren't much smarter, but they had fire, claws and teeth, and moved wicked fast.

By the time she reached the ring, she knew she had to move quickly. Her eyes flicked into the pit, analyzing the situation as fast as she could.

Somehow, the rest of the dragons were herded against a wall instead of joining the fray, actually shielding the other kids, but the problem lay on the other side. 

Monstrous Nightmares were known for their easily hurt pride, and their even easier invoked tempers. And some dimwit had pissed one off. And when Freya saw who it was, she wasn't the least bit surprised, but she didn't have time to wonder how much he deserved a good walloping. The boy that had taken a stab at her earlier was ducking as the Nightmare swept claws towards him, hissing angrily.

"I'm going to regret this…" Freya told herself, but threw herself at the cage over the ring, clambering up the bars as fast as she could. When she hit the chains overhead, she didn't waste time trying to balance, but instead threw herself down underneath them and swung from one chain to the next until she was right over the dragon below.

"Odin help me." And she let go. 

The Nightmare wasn't expecting a passenger, especially one that dropped from above. With a startled roar, it bucked its back, throwing the person to the floor of the arena. But Freya didn't hesitate. She uncoiled her whip and snapped it away from her, making a cracking noise to the dragon's other side. Surprised, the Nightmare glanced the other way to see where the sound had come from. Freya threw the handle as hard as she could, letting the braided leather slide through her hand until it came to a stop when the counterweights hit her fingers. The lead base on the handle smacked the dragon right on the shoulder, hard enough to get its attention, but not enough to do any permanent damage. The enraged dragon snarled and lunged towards Freya, who skipped to the side and sent another stinging smack from her whip handle into its side. The dragon swept its tail at her, trying to knock her down. Instead of trying to jump an appendage that the dragon had plenty of control over, she let it knock her off her feet, then rolled over her shoulder and back upright. After another hit on a tender spot in front of the dragon's hind leg, the Nightmare had had enough. It whirled to face the girl and took a deep breath. Freya knew what was coming and dodged to the side. She flung the handle of her whip at a high angle, coming down right across the dragon's snout and wrapping tightly around it several times.

Beyond frustrated, the dragon clawed at its muzzle, trying to dislodge the tightly wrapped leather. Freya glanced around quickly, trying to think of something when a Nadder came bolting forward, coils of rope in its mouth.

"Give it here!" She yelled and the dragon dropped it into her hands. She quickly tied a knot in it, then drew more rope through it, creating a lasso. She threw it over the Nightmare's head and caught it by the horns. Dragging on it with all her might, she got the dragon's attention again, keeping it from trying to dislodge her whip. Instead, it threw its head back, sending Freya flying over its head. Which, unfortunately for said dragon, was exactly what the girl had been hoping for. Landing hard next to the Nightmare's tail, Freya scrambled to her feet and ran for the leg closest to her and wrapping the rope in her hand around it. Then she pulled as hard as she could, yanking the Nightmare's head back.

"Get its legs!" She yelled to the other kids, who were staring, dumbfounded, at the spectacle before them. The first to stop gaping was little Ariela, who ran forward and took the end of another rope from the Nadder before dodging under the Nightmare's blind swipe and slinging it around one of its front legs. She beckoned to another Nadder, who ran forward and she gave it her end. The smaller dragon backed away, using its weight to pull the Nightmare's front leg out from under it. 

That was about when Gobber joined in. The adult Viking landed a clean hit on the dragon's other front leg, making it lose its support and bring it to its belly. Intent on its greatest offender, the Nightmare swept its tail hard and smacked Freya, making her lose her grip on the rope. The dragon swung its head back forward, ready to begin the fight again, only to come into Gobber's waiting arms. The large Viking clamped his arms around its head and pulled the dragon to the ground.

"Ge' yourselves in here, now!" He bellowed to the other Viking teens, who charged forward to try to pin the Nightmare down. Some jumped on its wings, others tried to pin its tail. More clambered on its legs to try to keep its deadly claws from getting at their friends, the Nightmare fighting them the whole time. 

It wasn't until a flash of violet light put an end to the struggle, landing right before the dragon's front feet. The Nightmare stopped fighting immediately at the sound of Toothless' snarl.

"It should be alright now," Hiccup said quietly, a wide-eyed Adrian standing behind him, "You can get off."

One by one, the young Vikings slid off the Nightmare until it was only Gobber holding onto it.

"Are yeh goin' to behave yerself?" He asked it, a hint of ice in his voice. The dragon whimpered a little, but lowered its eyes.

"Alright then." Gobber slowly loosened his grip, making sure to watch for any signs of a renewed temper.

"Alright, what happened h-" Hiccup stared as his daughter stalked up to the culprit that had flared the Nightmare's temper and smacked him as hard as she could, knocking him back on his rear.

"You _idiot_!" She bellowed, "You insulted as bloody _dragon_! Do you have a death wish? Because you certainly almost got it!"

"B-but-"

"No! That," Freya made a slashing motion at the dragon behind her, "Is a Monstrous Nightmare! And you want to know something? They're called that for a _reason_! And you went and pissed it off!"

"Uh, Freya-"

"Not now, Dad!" Freya snarled before rounding on her victim once more, "I suggest you apologize, but I don't care if it bites your arm off after this!" The Nightmare stared at the girl, as if unable to believe that the little creature that had just been stinging it with its little string of leather and tying it up like a fly in a web was coming to its defense. Ignoring any more noise out of the stammering boy, Freya turned on her heel and stalked up to the Nightmare to unwrap her whip from its muzzle. She was about two strides away when she came to a dead halt. Freya's world spun, then went black and she fainted.

"Oh gods….," Hiccup sighed, "Adrian, come here."

"Y-yes?" The boy asked, grey eyes still as wide as plates.

"Can you take her home?" Hiccup asked quietly, "Just- just get her into bed and wait till I get back."

"Yeah… Sure…" The boy knelt and scooped Freya up. Toothless came to his side and waited for him to start leaving the ring before tagging along and snarling at anybody that got too close.

"And here I was, hoping this whole thing was over…" Hiccup said miserably.

"I don' think it's as easy as tha'," Gobber told him, unwrapping Freya's half destroyed whip from the Nightmare's muzzle, "Behave."

The Nightmare tossed its head, but agreed, its only act of defiance a snarl at the kid who had bruised its ego. The effect was satisfying enough that it felt placated and the dragon stalked away.

"What happened, Gobber?" Hiccup asked, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'd love to know," The older Viking said, glaring at the kids who shrank away, "Cuz I specifically remember sayin' 'leave them alone till I get back'."

"Lovely," Hiccup began to massage his temples, "Time for some damage control." 

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Freya slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She recognized the ceiling, as well as the walls. And she definitely recognized that big black head that had just popped into her line of sight.

"Hi, Toothless," She whispered, patting the dragon's neck, "I did it again, didn't I?"

The dragon whimpered a little, then whirled to snarl at the person who opened the door. When he saw it was Hiccup, he snorted and turned back to the girl.

"Hi, Dad." Freya struggled to sit up, only to get pushed lightly back down.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like we stand on formalities in here."

"I didn't know such a thing as formalities existed," Freya grumbled, "I thought they only existed in myths and fairy tails."

"Glad to see you back to yourself," Hiccup said with a smile, "Even if it means we get to have double the serving of sarcasm again."

"Learned it from you, you have no one to blame but yourself." Freya stuck her tongue out at her dad.

"See? Already the insolence as well!"

"I'm not insolent!"

"Fine, just sassy."

"Da~ad!" 

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

"Sounds like she's awake again." Astrid told Adrian, who'd been sitting with her on the doorstep to the house.

"Yeah… Hey, um, Astrid?"

"Mm?"

"What happened? With Freya, I mean."

Astrid turned to face a worried pair of grey eyes. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"I don't know if I can really explain it completely. That and I really think you should ask Freya, or Hiccup. I can't really dish stuff like that out without making sure it won't hurt somebody's feelings."

"You mean Freya's."

"Yeah," Astrid sighed again, "However, I will say one thing. It's the reason I bullied Hiccup into at least learning how to use a bow. And made sure Freya was as good as I was at her age with weapons. Though I didn't see any practicality in that ridiculous whip until today. Works better than other stuff we use to tangle things up. There's a lot more control."

"And more options," Adrian put in, "That one small girl, the one with the dirty blonde hair-"

"Ariela." Astrid said with a small smile.

"Yeah, her. She said Freya also used it to make noise to distract the dragon," Adrian rested his chin on a hand, "Hard to believe she managed to do all that by herself."

"Yeah…." Astrid said, staring at the ground in front of her.

"So… You have no idea why she fainted?"

"I have plenty of an idea," Astrid said, "But, like I told you, you'll have to find out from someone else."

"Oh, come on, Astrid!" Adrian begged, "I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Oh really?" Astrid gave him a sharp look and a raised eyebrow.

"I swear it," Adrian promised, "I just want to know why."

"You swear?"

"In blood if I have to," Adrian pulled out his boot knife and held it over his palm, waiting for Astrid to make him do it, "I won't break a promise."

"That's really not necessary," Astrid took the knife from his hands, "And I'm sorry, I can't tell you."

"Astrid-"

"No. That's final. She's my daughter, it's her business, ask her."

"But-"

"No."

"Fine….," Adrian grumbled, "But if you find my body in the water tomorrow, know it'll be your fault."

"Yes, but then you'll know whether or not she wants to tell you."

"Fat lot of good it'll do me when I'm dead."

"I knew there was some sass in there." Hiccup said from the door, making them jump.

"H-Hiccup!" Adrian stammered.

"Look, stop freaking out, we don't bite," Hiccup sighed, "Now get in here before the cold air does."

"So bossy," Astrid said, raising her eyebrow, "What brought this on?"

"Oh, my daughter just trying to commit suicide and some kid acting like an idiot, making a very dangerous dragon mad, that's all. I think I'll freak out a little less with some sleep."

"Ah," Astrid placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder, "Join us for dinner?"

"Uh… Sure," The boy smiled weakly, "Gobber's not the best cook anyways…."

"I heard tha'!" Gobber yelled as he passed by, headed towards his own house.

"Is it just me, or does he have the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time to catch anything remotely embarrassing?" Adrian grumbled, not noticing Astrid and Hiccup glance at each other knowingly.

"He's a professional," Hiccup said, "Now let's get inside before he does it again." 

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Hey there, sorry that this took so long to update. I got a little sidetracked, then realized I wanted to change a lot of things, then got sidetracked again. School is coming up pretty fast for me and finding classes and such was a pain. Hope this chapter was worth the wait. So read, enjoy, review!


	6. Three Years Forward

Three Years Later…..

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Freya felt the wind in her waist length hair and took a deep breath of the chill night air around the watchtower. Since she had finally satisfied her mother with her combat skills, she'd been standing this watch, just before dawn, for the past four months. It was quiet, which she appreciated over the loud mornings among what was now the hundreds of dragons that roosted around the village. She turned away from the view of the open ocean to stoke the watch fire, then hesitated as a shadow moving along the cliff caught her eye.

"What in Odin's eye is….."

"What?" Freya heard her mother ask as she joined her daughter on the raised platform.

"There," Freya pointed to the large shapes below them, "Along the docks."

"Mm," Astrid's hand shot out and snatched an arrow out of the air that had been on course for Freya's left eye, "Whoever they are, they aren't friendly." She snapped the arrow in half and nudged her daughter.

"Mom-"

"Go. Gobber first, get armed up. Don't know how you could forget your sword, you little fool…. Then find your father."

"But-"

"Go! And that _is_ an order!" Astrid snarled as the shadows below them began to pick up their pace. She sloshed a nearby bucket of oil onto the fire, making it flare. Across the village, another flared, followed by more along the coast of the island.

"Mom-"

"Now!"

Giving up on arguing with her mother, Freya turned and ran. Astrid picked up her axe from nearby and tested the edge.

"We'll see about this….." She growled, twirling it. With a battle cry, she jumped from the platform into the group of men that had appeared on the walkway just below the tower.

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Freya jumped the last platform and landed on the back of one of the sheep on the village side of the tower, fighting for balance on the animal's rounded back. Finally, she lost her battle against gravity and fell among the startled flock. Scrambling to her feet, Freya hopped the fence of their corral and let out a piercing whistle, which was answered by loud snarls and disgruntled roars.

"Intruders!" She bellowed, jumping the low fence of the pen, "To arms!"

Suddenly, branches of flame erupted throughout the village, red light reflecting off the walls of the surrounding buildings. Doors burst open as Vikings came rushing out of their homes, strapping on their armor as they came. A light blazed in the forge as Freya sprinted for it, showing that Adrian was awake and had brought the fire to life.

"Lass, what in the Odin's name have I told yeh about forgetting to carry your weapons?" Gobber bellowed as he grabbed her by her collar and dragged her inside.

"Mom told me to run, so I did," Freya snarled back, "Which means my bow is still at the guard tower. When the Master of the Guard tells me to run, I run!"

"You should kno' better-"

"Freya!" Adrian shouted, tossing a short sword her way. She caught it and slung it over her shoulders and buckled the waist belt tightly.

"Did you adjust my counter weights?" She asked, throwing a glance his way.

"Lucky for you, I did, just last night." Adrian replied, nodding to a coiled whip lying on the table beside her.

"Thanks." Freya shouted as she grabbed it and bolted out the door. From behind her, Gobber gave Adrian a blistering lecture about socializing with girls when he should be minding his own work.

Rounding the corner of a building, Freya threw herself to the side as a stream of flame blasted right where she had previously been.

"Watch it!" She bellowed as she passed the dragon, who snorted an apology and took to the sky, a rider strapped to his back. Hearing a yelled warning, Freya spun, her whip lashing out just in time to wrap around the legs of a man charging at her bearing a spear. She hauled on the handle for all she was worth, bringing him to his knees. Giving it a snap, she freed it and smacked the lead pommel straight into his forehead.

"G'night." She growled as he sank like a stone.

"Freya, get down!" She heard Snotlout, one of her father's friends, yell. Dropping to her belly, Freya rolled clear of the stream of flame that erupted from his dragon's mouth. She sprung to her feet and kept running, eyes racing across the village, separating enemy from ally. She finally targeted a group of intruders who had three warriors cornered. Stooping, she snatched up a large rock and hurled it, smacking one in the back of his helmeted head. He fell to his knees, clasping the back of his head and howling in pain. The rest turned as Freya let out a sharp whistle.

"Over here!"

"Little witch," The downed warrior snarled, "I'll get you for that."

"Doubtful," Freya challenged, "With those stubby legs, you couldn't catch me if you tried."

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The dark dragon snarled as bonfires erupted across the island, making its rider pat its head soothingly.

"Easy buddy, we don't want to go rushing in too quick." He murmured, listening to the shouts below. When he heard the word 'intruder', he slung himself across his dragon's back and tightened his grip on his bow.

"Ready?"

The dragon snorted and shook its head, eyes narrow slits.

"Go."

The dive was fast and straight, both rider and dragon plummeting toward the base of Berk's only mountain.

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A high shriek filled the air, making the intruding warriors pause as Berk's inhabitants either hit the deck or took flight to get far from the village ground. Freya hesitated as a blaze of violet light flared on the other side of the village, then threw another stone to get her pursuers' attention. The chase renewed, she ran for the bridge towards the arena.

She came skidding to a halt right in the middle, noticing that more of the foreign warriors were waiting for her on the other side, apparently having found a different route into the village. Looking back, she saw her options.

"I'll have your intestines for my belt." The warrior she'd hit with the stone hissed.

"Maybe." Freya's eyes were to the slowly brightening sky. Finally, she glanced at him and smiled impudently. He snarled and lunged towards her. Freya took a running jump, shoved off the railing of the bridge and opened her arms in time for a monstrous black shape to snatch her out of the air. Grabbing the wide strap around the dragon's middle, Freya pulled herself up behind her dad and dodged his elbow as Hiccup drew his arm back and let an arrow fly. It hit its mark, slamming deep into the shoulder of one of the intruders, making him stagger back with the force.

"Thanks Dad," Freya sighed, "I was worried I wasn't gonna be able to get out of that one."

"You wouldn't have." Hiccup growled irritably, echoed by Toothless' snarl.

"Look, I was drawing them away."

"My foolish, considerate daughter," Hiccup drew another arrow from his quiver and let it fly, "Think about your surroundings. Always. Grandpa is going to take this out of your hide, if your mother doesn't get there first."

"Please no." Freya moaned, throwing her arms around her dad's waist as Toothless yanked himself skyward and flipped them around.

"Let's just get through this first, shall we?" Hiccup asked, hands tight around the saddle's handles. Toothless let out a growl and released a violet fireball that landed right at the toes of a warrior trying to come up behind Stoick, who was beating the daylights out of five others.

"Dad," Hiccup called, "Try to get them alive! We need to know why they're here!"

Stoick gave him an affirmative nod and returned to berating his opponents.

"Dad, drop me by the forge."

"Promise not to get into trouble this time?"

"Adrian's there, I won't. But Mom might need some backing. She kind of jumped in head first."

"Oh gods, that woman," Hiccup groaned, "Alright, gimmie your ar- Hold on." Hiccup let another arrow fly before slinging the bow across his shoulders and turning to grab Freya's forearm. Freya put her fingers to her mouth and let out another piercing whistle to catch the attention of those fighting around the forge.

"Adrian!" Hiccup bellowed at the youth, who was swinging a half forged, red-hot sword as a weapon. Adrian glanced up, delivered a crushing blow to smash his opponent aside and braced himself.

"Catch me!" Freya yelled. Hiccup hauled on her forearm, popping her out from behind him and swinging her towards Adrian's waiting arms as Toothless streaked overhead. He let go and Adrian caught Freya, spinning a little to lessen the impact and to help her feet to the ground. Adrian let go as she touched and let her gather the speed into a roll that brought her to her feet.

"I see you've come to join the party." He said wryly, taking a swing at a man that tried to gut the unprepared Freya with a spear.

"Thanks," She said, lashing out at her assailant with her whip and forcing him back, "I thought you could use a little help."

"How thoughtful- Oop!" Adrian ducked as another warrior tried to take a sweeping swing at him with an axe.

"Let's get this scum out of here." Freya snarled as the sounds of angry dragons filled the air.

"Oh yes." Adrian agreed, his steel grey eyes narrowed.

Suddenly the sky was filled with dragons, their many colored scales flashing in the new sunlight. Seeing the hundreds of dragons in the air, the intruders ran for the gates of Berk.

"Ha! Cowards!" Freya heard one Viking yell.

"Not quite." Adrian breathed, pointing below the long wooden causeway to the docks. Below, ten ships, full to the brim with more warriors, awaited command.

"Tell my dad to be prepared to intimidate, if not engage, next time he swings back around," Freya coiled her whip and hooked it into her belt, "Stay behind the walls till my signal, we don't want them ready for us when we get our chance. Who knows what they might have prepared for us!" She yelled, following the fleeing warriors down the ramp to the fresher, meaner ones that stood by to replace them.

When she finally reached the bottom, she drew her sword and stood her ground, bracing her slim shoulders. Finally, the biggest warrior, who had been lounging against the bow of one of the boats, looked up from yelling at the fleeing warriors to see her.

"Ha!" His accent was thick and his tone critical, "Is this the demon you spoke of? It doesn't look too frightening to me!"

"No! There was an army of-"

"Monsters? Ha!" He turned back to Freya, "Are you this putrid rock's mighty defender? You don't look too troublesome to me."

"You might want to listen to him," Freya tilted her head in the stammering warrior's direction, "There's more to this 'putrid _rock_' than you think there is."

"I hear that its inhabitants are fierce, all I see is one little girl. I hear there's an army of monsters at your call. I see nothing of this army."

"You couldn't _hear_ it?" Freya asked incredulously.

"Sounds can be made to fool an enemy, little girl."

"Did you not even think to look, you know, _up_?"

"Does it matter, girl? _Their_ job was to take care of this place," The man made a cutting gesture towards the warriors that now cowered near their ships, "I should have known better than to send these idiots."

"You can _not_ have been the sharpest sword in your village…..," She shrugged, "But if you want an army, you got one." She let out a piercing whistle, answered by a deafening roar from behind Berk's walls.

"You can't scare me, little girl." The man laughed, taking a step towards her as a shriek filled the air. Toothless dropped from the sky, snarling fiercely as he landed heavily beside Freya. Hiccup straightened and had his bow drawn before the man could blink.

"Touch her and I'll _kill_ you." He said heatedly.

"Not if I get to him first." Astrid growled as her Nadder came smashing down in front of Freya, creating a wall of wings and muscle between her daughter and the enemy. Freya took a deep breath and forced herself to keep a fierce glare locked on their enemy.

"Father's mercy….." The man breathed as dragons poured out from behind the walls of the village, Nadders perching on the walls themselves, Monstrous Nightmares clinging to the cliffs and Gronckles hovering like a hive of angry bees. An array of Zipplebacks swept in to land on the ramp leading to the village, hissing threateningly. The man swore in a foreign tongue and took a step back, his pale eyes wide.

"If you ever return, we will burn your ships to ashes." Adrian growled as he emerged from behind Freya, a heavy bar of solid iron in his hands, the tip still glowing a cherry red. The man looked Adrian up and down, unable to hide the shock in his eyes. He said something swift and bewildered in his foreign language, making Adrian's eyes widen. He responded with a snarl and several words in the same language, swift, angry and to the point.

"Boy, you best reconsider where your allegiance lies." The man said ominously. Adrian squared his feet and tightened his grip on the bar in his hand.

"My allegiance lies with those who saved my life instead of letting me die at sea, like your lot did. Go back to the Lords and tell them that they'd better reconsider before sending an armada out here. Next time, it won't be only one ship that sinks."

"Watch your tongue, whelp!" The man bellowed, lunging for Adrian, who took a step to the side and swung his bar as hard as he could. It collided with the side of the man's face, sending him flying. When he hit the dock, he didn't get up. Adrian's steely eyes traveled across the faces in the boat nudged up against the dock. He barked an order in that strange language that sent them scrambling. A group hurried to the unconscious man, stowed him in the boat and gave an obvious order to shove off.

"Ruff, Tuff, take a flock and follow them to a league out. I don't want them changing their minds without an escort to make them behave." Hiccup said quietly to the nearby twins, who nudged their dragon. It took flight, circling the borders of the village twice before a mass of Berk's flock broke loose and followed the retreating ships.

Once they were out of sight, Freya marched up to Adrian, grabbed the shoulder of his shirt and hauled him around to face her.

"What in Hel's half-dead body was that?" She hissed, green eyes flashing coldly.

"What?" Adrian looked confused, and a little scared.

"Three years you've lived here, and not a single word about who you were, where you were from-"

"_You_ never asked! I was under the impression you didn't care."

"Now that you happen to speak the same language as the people that just _stormed my village_, I care a lot more than I used to!"

Adrian winced at the hidden barb in Freya's words as the crowd around him suddenly began to stare, suspicion and fear in their eyes. She had alienated him from all his newfound friends and figurative family with just a single word. He didn't know if he would ever get those treasured relationships back.

"That chapter of my life is over! I ended it when the ships that came last time left me for dead-"

"Why have you never told us this? Never warned us?" Freya bit her lower lip, fighting for self-control.

"I thought….. Freya, please….. It's a long story….."

"We'll have plenty of time for long stories tonight. Especially one like this." She turned away and began a stiffly controlled walk up the ramps and back to the village, followed by other villagers and dragons. When Hiccup got off of Toothless and started to unstring his bow, Adrian hesitantly approached.

"I would never- Not after you-"

"Adrian."

The boy silenced immediately.

"Listen," Hiccup hoped his face didn't show how much he was hurting for the boy, "I'm not the type to pass judgment until I hear all the facts. If you were still here for the same reason as when you first arrived on these waters, you wouldn't have tried so hard to make friends. You would have isolated yourself, refused to get close to anyone. No, Adrian, I will wait to hear what you have to say. Unlike my daughter, who isn't thinking with her head at all."

"And…. You'll believe me? Even after-"

"Do you have a reason to lie?"

"….. No."

"Then why should I bring assumptions with me when I hear you out tonight?"

"Oh."

"I'm going to need someone to help me with the captured ones up there. It would be great if someone could speak their natural language…." Hiccup said wistfully, glancing at the boy out of the corner of his eye.

"I'd be happy to help!" Adrian jumped on the opportunity. He didn't want to be alone in the village right now, while suspicions were running rampant. And there was no safer place to be than occupied under Hiccup's watchful eye.

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Quite the time skip, I know. But those missing years will be filled in should anything important need to be brought up, so don't you worry, you won't be missing much. If there is anything driving you crazy that you NEED to know, I am taking requests and I will bring it up as it comes along in the story. I think this could be fun for all of us and I want to know what you guys want to know about. A little audience involvement. Oh, and I'm aware that Freya does a lot of whistling in this chapter; you don't need to point it out. Remember, dragons tend to be pretty loud, so she would need something louder to get people's attention among all that noise. And since she's capable of that skill, why should she waste it? Anywho, read, enjoy and review!

Oh yes, one last thing: Right now, on my profile page, I've got this awesome link that a friend sent me that can rate your character's Mary-Sue level and I know that people everywhere can get their characters accused of being one. If your feelings got bruised about that sort of thing, I recommend sending your character through the test. For one thing, I found it kind of fun, and another, it makes you really think about how you construct your characters. Congrats to Freya for scoring a 2, making her a completely original and non Mary-Sue character! And Adrian for scoring an 11, yay for him! (Sorry, I'm just a little proud of that…..)


	7. Chapter 7

Freya stalked straight through the village and into the dense wood that lay beyond, her mind closed and temper running red-hot.

"How could he?" She hissed, punching one hand with the other, "How could he not tell us?" Snarling, she kicked a well-rooted rock, stubbing her toe. With a mild curse, she hobbled over to a fallen log and slumped onto it.

"I mean, how? Doesn't he think we could have used this information in the future? What if someone died? It'd be his fault for not warning us!"

'_It's been three years,_' The practical voice in the back of her head whispered, '_He was just starting to rebuild whatever it was he lost when his ship was destroyed. He didn't think he'd ever meet his people again. Cut him a break. He had a family, friends, maybe a girlfriend._'

With another angry growl, Freya stood abruptly and continued her patrol of the forest. It wasn't long before her feet took her where she hadn't intended to go. Following along a worn ditch that broke through the trees, Freya finally came upon the small opening into Toothless' clearing, where he and her dad had first become friends. Just being there put a little water to her flames, clearing her head.

She had come here often when she was little, each time after Hiccup had taken her flying. She had loved the wind in her face, the roar in her ears and the weightlessness in her stomach with every loop and twist that Toothless had executed. She still did, but she had reached an age where the Night Fury couldn't hold her and her father for such extended periods of time. It almost broke her heart, making her immerse herself in her study of combat to escape from her dreams of soaring over Berk.

Then she'd met Adrian, who helped fill in those lonely hours while the sun was up; a time that she had expected to spend the rest of her life in solitude. He'd been scared at first, and through that fear he'd been drawn to her fearless personality. Even after Adrian had accustomed himself to Berk, he continued most of his days as he had before, camping, lounging and helping Freya with anything and everything. He'd become her best friend and fellow adventurer.

But now he had become the enemy.

"It's so unfair…. Ah, Loki, you are cruel." Freya said quietly. She climbed down the ledge into Toothless' cove and wandered along the waterline, kicking pebbles into the pond to watch the ripples spread across the water's surface.

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Hiccup leaned against a pillar in the Great Hall, green eyes blazing furiously at the four men before him. Sitting on a bench nearby, Stoick was sharpening a knife, occasionally glancing up to make sure their "guests" were behaving themselves.

"Hiccup." Adrian nodded to the man as he arrived.

"Find out what they're doing here." Hiccup said, his voice low and harsh.

"I will." Adrian promised. He approached the four intruders, who tried to shrink into the pillar they were tied to, and crouched in front of them, talking in a low voice. While Adrian spoke with them, Stoick stood, groaning as his back protested, and joined his son.

"Do you think it wise?"

"What reason does Adrian have to betray us, Dad?" Hiccup asked, giving his father a quick look that made even Stoick twist uncomfortably. Small Hiccup may have remained, but he was starting to gather his father's authoritative presence that commanded respect when he spoke.

"They may rekindle his desire to go home. He might want to see his family again."

"This _is_ his home, and _we_ are his family now," Hiccup said heatedly, "He told me himself when I offered to try to find him a way home almost a year ago."

"What brought that about?"

"From what I gathered, he didn't want to talk about it much, his family life wasn't so good. Believed more in serving the…. Empire, I think he said, rather than treasuring the bonds of blood. And his people, whoever he was with, didn't try to save him when they could have. What little he _did_ mention, you were there in the forge, was that his wasn't the only ship back then. They didn't save him. When he saw their sterns, he must have cut his ties right there."

"Did it occur to you that he might have been lying?"

"Does he-" Hiccup caught himself as Adrian glanced his way, curious as to why Hiccup's voice had almost risen to a shout. Hiccup nodded towards the prisoners and Adrian shrugged before turning back to them.

"Does he seem like a liar to you?" Hiccup hissed.

"The best liars are the ones who can seem to be honest."

"Thor's hammer, you should hear yourself!" Hiccup protested, "I can't think of a single time he's lied."

"I can."

"When?" Hiccup asked, shocked. Stoick gave his son a small smile and shook his head.

"Anytime it could get your daughter out of trouble."

"…..What?"

"Never you mind. I'll take your word for it, about the boy anyhow."

"What's this about Freya?"

"God-named she may be, but she's not the type who wouldn't tempt the gods to tan her hide."

"That was the Elder's doing."

"The Elder consulted the Stones, as she does for us all at birth. Besides, you have to admit, your daughter's working at unseating the goddess she was named for."

"Unlikely." Hiccup protested.

"But the thought is an amusing one."

"You have too much time on your hands, Dad," Hiccup grumbled, "Get a hobby."

"Watch it, boy, unless you want that hobby to be you getting tied in knots."

"You-"

"Hiccup?" Adrian stood and approached the two men.

"Get anything?"

"Yeah," The youth combed his hair back with his fingers, "You're probably not going to like it."

"I don't think I would have liked it no matter what they say."

"There is that…." Adrian shrugged.

"Do they speak our language? Any at all?" Stoick asked, feeding the prisoners one of his most bloodthirsty glares.

"Enough," Adrian admitted, "Where they come from, many languages are spoken. To be able to extend trade routes, you need to pick up at least a little of the local language so that arrangements can be made. Their accents may be strange and their sentences a bit broken, but they learned a similar dialect. Probably from one of the mainland groups."

"Mainland?" Hiccup asked.

"Larger land masses. I've been through that part of the world. Berk can't even account for a fraction of it."

"Mm, figures," Hiccup approached the men they had captured and crouched down in front of them, "Do you understand me?"

The men stared at him dumbly before one nodded slowly. One of his comrades kicked him, the glare on his face clearly telling him to admit nothing. Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he leaned closer to the one who had silenced the other.

"You listen to me, and you listen good," He said softly, "You _will_ speak to me. My patience is tried enough after this morning's adventure. Understand?"

The one he was facing down just stared back at him, stubbornly refusing to speak.

"Well then," Hiccup gestured to the shadows, "You can talk to me. Or you can talk to _him_." He said evenly as Toothless came slinking out of the darkness, pupils narrow slits and teeth bared in a silent snarl. The dragon prowled up to Hiccup's side and rubbed against the hand that the human had placed on his head. Once the dragon had made it clear whose side he was on, he growled, a deep sound that echoed formidably around the Great Hall. One of the prisoners fainted on the spot.

"Understand?" Hiccup asked again.

"Un-understand…." The stubborn one admitted.

"You understand why we want to know why you're here?"

"Understand…." The man answered again, glaring out of small black eyes.

"Good. Now you need to give me a reason to keep you alive. Understand?"

"Wh-what? Why not live?"

"Three of my people died this morning," Hiccup said, voice soft but furious, "One of their lives is worth five of you scum. Give me a reason not to hand you over to their families. Or their dragons. Understand?"

"Most…. understand," The man admitted, hanging his head, "No reason good enough. Accept responsibility." The man's companions, that were conscious, protested, but he silenced them with heated words.

"What did he say?" Hiccup asked, glancing at Adrian.

"He told them to shut up. That they know that those men wouldn't have died if they hadn't been here and there's no point in trying to lie about it," Adrian gave the prisoner a weak smile, "He knows it would only make you angrier."

"Well," Hiccup sat back, his replacement foot starting to ache, "They are somewhat civilized. Not that we're a prime example…"

"I know what region they are from. Honor is important to them."

"Oh, there's a lot of honor in taking a village at the quiet hours of the morning. When everyone is asleep." Stoick growled.

"They weren't in command. It wasn't their choice. Those who were commanding call it strategy." Adrian explained.

"They didn't say anything, they're equally responsible."

"Obeying a person in command is equally important," Adrian's grey eyes turned hard as steel as a memory surfaced, "They can't disobey." His fists clenched until his knuckles went white.

"Lad…"

"Not- not mean much," The prisoner that had spoken interrupted, "But apologize for lives. Not meant to take. Just capture. Deaths not wanted."

"Not by the commander." Adrian told him. The man hesitated, then hung his head.

"They sailed under Aulder's banner," Adrian said, his eyes trained on the prisoners, "He isn't one to disobey, if you're unfortunate enough to be under his command."

"Was that the one you gave a beating to on the docks?" Stoick asked.

"Who? Oh. No," Adrian gave them an awkward smile, "That was Allath. He's…. Well, it's hard to understand how he got into a command position. Probably the only one stupid enough to take these waters….."

"Back on topic, Adrian." Hiccup sighed.

"Sorry…. Right, Aulder. He's not a good person to cross. He's the Empire's best military leader. He's conquered two thirds of the land under their banner, including the one I came from. In my home, we had a name for him when we were away from traitorous ears…."

"A name? What kind of name?" Hiccup asked, "And why away from-"

"Those that would betray our trust?" Adrian sighed, "Because if it got back to him, he would make examples of us to show everyone else that he still commanded the land we lived on. We had to be careful with our words."

"The name, lad." Stoick prodded. Adrian hesitated, as if digging up a memory.

"In my language, we gave him the name _ceultra he arrathta_: The One who is Cruel. It certainly defined him at the time. And I don't think he changed at all." Adrian glanced at the men tied to the pillar. The leader was squinting his eyes at him, as if trying to recognize him.

"_Atlantiski_?" He finally asked, making Adrian jump. Adrian nodded slowly, cautiously. Immediately the man burst into conversation, words tumbling out one on top of the other. Adrian gestured for him to slow down, then crouched beside him to hear what he said, Hiccup and Stoick staring at the boy's back. Whatever the man was saying, Adrian was taking it in with horror.

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Welp, here we go with another chapter in some semblance of consistency. It might be pretty obvious about now that I'm not the best at being a regular updater, but I'm certainly trying for you guys. I also figured out that listening to Eminem might not be the best thing to do while trying to write this, so I had get some mellower music that places me in a better position to be writing a fanfic based off of a family movie. Violent music, bad. Mellow music, good. Bad Birdi….. Anyways, I hope you're still enjoying the story and that you're still here with me. As always, read, enjoy and review!


	8. Chapter 8

When Freya finally returned to the village, she took advantage of the sunlight and determined how much damage the village had taken. And it was more than she had expected.

A few houses had been broken into, their contents looking like the victims of winter storms, tossed about and damaged. Several of the villagers were injured in one place or another, something that her mother and village elder were quick to take care of. Freya offered her assistance for a while, but soon found that she was more underfoot than helpful and headed for the door.

"S'cuz us, Freya," One Viking mumbled as he squeezed to one side to get past her, "We've got a couple of bad 'uns."

"Wh-" Freya froze and stared in horror and disbelief as large bundles covered in cloth were carried in, every one of them impossible to deny what they were. Ice ran through her veins and the world spun in unmerciful circles. Her eyes followed as the bundles were brought to the Elder, who shook her head and led their carriers to a back room in her home, used only for preparing the dead.

"No…. No, no, no, no…..," Freya stumbled away as the Elder closed the curtain to separate them from the sickroom, "Father Odin, take them swiftly into your hall…."

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Freya spent the next hour wandering the shadows of the village, mentally doing a tally of everyone she knew, seeing who was missing, and who was there.

All of her father's friends remained, as well as the younger Vikings, though some looked worse for wear. Tuffnut would be limping for a while with that gash, and Fishlegs would be unable to use that arm for at least a month. Ariela was sporting a nasty slash across her lovely face; shallow, but it would probably scar. Sheepgut, one of the village's best fishermen was missing, as was Valk, a spirited man who told the best off-color stories of gods and heroes.

The dragons weren't at their best either, several injured mildly while others, more seriously injured, were being hovered over by their worried partners.

Overall, the village was a mess, and she was helpless to do anything about it. Taking a shaky breath, Freya began a steady march to her house, determined to find some solitude. There was too much going on emotionally in Berk that she couldn't handle it. She needed somewhere to hide, somewhere to let it all out.

She rounded the corner of a building to come face to face with Adrian, who didn't look any better than she felt. He froze at the sight of her and visibly held his breath.

"What?" Freya snapped, glaring at him.

"I- I was just…."

"Just what?"

"I-" Adrian's grey eyes went blank and he took a deep breath, "Nothing."

"Then why are you here?" Freya asked heatedly.

"I was going to the forge," He hissed back, voice just as harsh, "To see if I could do anything _useful_. Instead of sitting around, waiting for my lynch mob."

Freya flinched.

"You go do that then," She snarled, "Maybe you can make up for what you did!"

"I didn't do any of this!" Adrian bellowed, "When did you get a rock to your head? How could I have? I was bloody _asleep_!"

"You-"

"What? I _what_? I'd love to know!"

"You're one of them!" Freya yelled, heat rushing to her cheeks. It was a stupid reason. She _knew_ it was a stupid reason, but she would rather use a stupid reason than admit she was afraid of him now.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Adrian roared back, "Spill my blood? Drain myself dry to purge the foreign part of me? Leave? Is that what you want? You want me to leave? Well, guess what? I can't! So you'd better get used to it!"

"Get away from me…." Freya hissed.

"With pleasure!" Adrian said sharply before walking around her, headed for the forge.

That's when Freya noticed her audience. A group of the Vikings that had been on repair duty were staring, looking absolutely shocked at what they had seen.

"What are you looking at?" She yelled, making them hurry away to get back to what they were doing. Except for one.

"That was a graceful way to handle that," Hiccup said quietly, making Freya flinch, "The very pride of what I taught you about growing up."

"I-"

"Ever consider he lost something too? Or are you too busy being scared of him for what he is to realize that?"

"Dad!"

"He lost a lot more than you did today." Hiccup looked away, rubbing his face with his hands.

"But… Oh, gods…" Freya sprinted away, wanting, _needing_, to be alone.

"You didn' exactly handle tha' well either." Gobber said, coming to Hiccup's side.

"I know," Hiccup sighed, "But sometimes you have to treat her like her mother. And don't think I don't regret it. I love her, but she can't act like that. Adrian needs a friend right now, and his best one is afraid of him."

"Afraid? She jus' looked angry to me."

"She's good at hiding it," Hiccup told him miserably, "And I'm not very good at dealing with it."

"Hiccup, you're a good parent," Gobber said, letting out a lungful of air, "I'm thinkin' she just needs some time."

"Yes, she does. And we'll have enough to do to give her that time."

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Astrid returned from the Elder's home, the stab wound in her arm bandaged up, she found Hiccup sitting at their table, resting his chin on his arms and staring a hole in the wall beside the door.

"You only do that when you're feeling guilty about something," She said when he glanced up at her, "What did you do?"

"I got sharp with Freya." He said stiffly.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Why did you get sharp with her?" Astrid clarified, seeing her daughter perched at the top of the stairs out of the corner of her eye.

"Because she reacted badly to something and I reacted badly to that."

"What did she react to?"

"She got in a row with Adrian, in the middle of the village."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Astrid said matter-of-factly, seeing Freya flinch in her hiding place. When Hiccup flinched as well, she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so it wasn't a lover's spat?" Astrid asked.

"You know-"

"Yes, yes, I know. They're just friends. But it's fun to tease them when they do that."

"It was worse than one of those bickering matches they usually have. Those are in good fun. Freya got scared and took it out on him. And he was smarting already, so he retaliated."

"Ah," Astrid walked to the table and sat next to Hiccup, "And what is she afraid of?"

"He turned into a three-eyed monster when he could suddenly speak the same language as our morning visitors."

"Just because he can speak another language doesn't mean he's any less human than we are." Astrid said, raising her voice a little to make sure Freya could hear her. When Hiccup glanced at her, she shrugged.

"Still, I shouldn't have snapped at her," He said, resuming his staring match with the wall, "I should have talked to her as an adult. She's sixteen, even if she argues like a twelve-year-old."

"She thinks with her heart, not her head. It's what makes her who she is. And, like you said, she's scared. She'll grasp at straws."

"Still…."

"Hiccup, she's not you," Astrid said, "She won't always think things through like you do. You have to accept that. She's still growing up. And she's a smart girl. She'll apologize to Adrian, even if their friendship is ruined." She added a little bite to the end of her sentence; the parental order sliding in. Freya rarely fought that tone, and she knew the girl understood that she'd better do as she was told this time, or this morning's battle was going to seem like an afternoon nap.

"I hope not," Hiccup said, "They got along so well. Even if they bickered like an old married couple."

"They're kids. Did you expect any different?"

"I can dream," Hiccup said with a sigh. He pushed himself up from the table and stretched, "What time is it?"

"Sundown in about an hour," Astrid said, "Thinking of heading to the Hall?"

"Yeah. Adrian's gonna need someone to sit with him until everyone gets there. I don't want him getting hurt before we can hear his story."

"A good thought," Astrid said, "I'll try to round up our stubborn child."

"Better you than me," Hiccup said, hearing a scrambling of feet on the stairs, "You're better at tossing her over your shoulder."

"Doesn't help her any that she's small."

"I leave it in your capable hands." He said as he kissed Astrid on the cheek and headed for the door, Toothless leaping up to follow. When the door closed, Astrid gave the stairs a scathing look and climbed to the upper floor.

"Freya?"

"Yes?" She heard from the room at the end. Freya's room.

"Care to explain?"

"Which one?" The girl asked bitterly, coming to her doorway, "It seems there's a few."

"Why you didn't come downstairs after your dad left?"

"Uh…"

"Not planning on going to the event you gracefully planned for the evening?"

"What?"

"What you said this morning, everyone took seriously. Adrian gets to explain himself to the entire village because you gave him no choice. Tonight."

"What?" Freya asked, going pale.

"Yep. Now, going to take responsibility for your actions?"

"Is he really?"

"Does he go back on his word?"

"Never," Freya whispered, "Never to me."

"Well, as usual, he's going through with it," Astrid said, "Are you going to insult him by acting like you don't believe him?"

"But I didn't ask him to….. I-"

"Are you?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow. Freya winced.

"I'll go." She whispered in a defeated voice.

"Good," Astrid held her arms out, "Now get over here."

"Mmph…" Freya grumbled, walking over and letting Astrid squeeze her tightly, "I'm not six, mom."

"Yes, but I'm your mother. I have rights."

"Fine."

"Excellent. Now let's go."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Is he really?" Freya asked quietly, fidgeting with her braid.

"I just said he was. And you know how he is. He won't back down."

"No, he won't…. Hel's throne…."

"Time to take responsibility." Astrid said, sighing heavily. She reached out and hugged her daughter around the shoulders. Freya leaned into it and let Astrid lead her down the stairs.

"I feel like such an idiot."

"We all have our moments," Astrid admitted, "It's part of life."

"But still…. I don't know why I said it."

"I would have thought that was obvious," Astrid said, letting go of Freya to pull open the front door, "What happened this morning rattled you. You got defensive and shot off your mouth without thinking about the consequences."

"Thank you for putting it so delicately." Freya said stiffly.

"Unlike your father, I'm not going to be subtle about it. I want you to know straight up."

"Mom….."

"Freya, I don't soften things."

"After ten years of training under you, I think I would _know_ that by now….." Freya mumbled, memories of the hellish training her mother had put her through growing up drifting about her head.

"Just wanted to be sure the lesson stuck," Astrid teased, "Or if it bled away overnight because you tried to block it from your memories."

"Ha, ha, no….," Freya growled, "Bruises can never be forgotten after one of those stick matches."

"Ah, good," Astrid smiled and patted her daughter on the head, "And just think of all it has done for you."

"It still hurt."

"It still did things for you."

"It still hurt."

"You're never going to let that one go, are you?"

"_Never_."

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was Toothless who found Adrian, sitting beside the immense fireplace, arms curled around his legs. The dragon trotted up to him and nosed one of the boy's feet. Adrian jumped, then gave the reptile a weak smile.

"I see you found somewhere to hide." Hiccup said, sitting next to him.

"Yeah, in plain sight," Adrian grumbled, "Great place to hide."

"What did he say to you?" Hiccup asked, "What could he say to get to you like that?"

"I'll get to it," Adrian said darkly, "I don't want to have to say it more than once."

"I see." Hiccup said, finding a more comfortable position to sit beside Adrian. They were silent for several minutes, watching the Great Hall slowly fill up and Vikings go about their evening duties.

"Hiccup?" Adrian asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared." He said, the young Adrian that Hiccup had met three years ago coming to the surface. The Adrian who had grown during his time on Berk would never have admitted to anything even remotely related to fear, especially after spending so much time around Freya.

"I know the feeling," Hiccup admitted, "Really, I do. After Toothless was discovered, I experienced pretty much the same thing."

"How did you deal with it?"

"I did something crazy."

"Drama?"

"Drama."

"Somehow, I don't think that will help me." Adrian sighed, grey eyes traveling the expanse of the room.

"I seriously doubt it would."

" Any suggestions?" The boy asked miserably, "Something that might actually work?"

"Don't lie," Hiccup said, "You've been around us long enough to know we appreciate honesty."

"What worries me is that you might not believe it."

"I doubt that."

"Then you're in for a surprise," Adrian said, "Sometimes I don't believe it myself."

"That is probably the most worrying statement I've ever heard." Hiccup admitted. Adrian grimaced and stared at his knees.

"It's still true, to my misfortune." He said, followed by an awkward silence. Toothless nipped Hiccup's foot and made a light head gesture towards the tables.

"Er, Adrian?"

"Yes?"

"Want some food, perhaps? Might be good for you."

"Only if I want to throw it up." Adrian said softly, making Hiccup wince.

"Anything to drink? That might go easier."

"I think I'll be able to get down water," He admitted, "And I'm going to be talking a lot, so I'll need it."

"I'll get you some," Hiccup said, "Toothless, stick with him. Don't let anyone harass him." Toothless' eyes traveled across the Great Hall and he agreed with a silent snarl, locking eyes with anyone who stared at Adrian for too long. Hiccup nodded and made his way across the Hall to go about his task.

"Thanks, Toothless," Adrian's voice came out in a dry whisper, "It means a lot."

The dragon tossed his head, as if to say that it wasn't any trouble. Adrian smiled and patted the Night Fury on the head.

"All righ' there, lad?"

Adrian looked up to see Gobber standing over him. The smith brushed off Toothless' defensive snarl and took Hiccup's vacant spot.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, le's see," Gobber raised an eyebrow at him, "Yer white as a snow bank, yer hidin' in a corner an' most of the village is either upset or afraid of you. I wouldn't be doin' quite so well either."

"Thank you for reminding me," Adrian said dryly, rolling his eyes, "I'd completely forgotten."

"Thought so, jus' wanted to be sure!" The smith said, sickeningly cheerful as usual.

"And tell me, why aren't you among them?" Adrian asked, looking at the smith out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well, le's see…. You happen to be livin' in that little room in the forge tha' used to be Hiccup's workroom and places you perfectly under my watchful eyes, you usually end up at my table at meal times and you work for me when you aren't gettin' into trouble with Miss Sassy. I think I have a pretty good idea of wha' you're like, lad. And traitorous isn't part of tha'."

"Y'know, if half the village, instead of two people, thought that way, I might feel better." Adrian said sourly.

"I'm thinkin' it's more than two, lad." Gobber said as Astrid and Freya joined them. Freya and Adrian's eyes met for a moment before both of them looked away, expressions of anger and hurt on their faces.

"Ahem." Astrid coughed, glaring at Freya. The girl flinched and forced herself to look at Adrian.

"I- I'm sorry." She said shortly before looking away again.

"For what?" Adrian asked bitterly, making Freya flinch again.

"For yelling at you."

"You do that a lot," Adrian said, "What makes this the time to suddenly apologize?"

"Would you just accept the stupid-" Freya was cut off as Astrid cuffed her lightly on the back of the head. She took a deep breath and let it out in an angry hiss.

"Freya." Astrid said, her tone unmistakable.

"I'm _sorry_ for yelling at you for no reason."

"You do that a lot too."

"Well, _this_ time, it was out of line." She admitted, forcing herself to keep her voice low.

"Oh, _now_ you see that?" Adrian asked, finally glaring up at her. He made a noise of protest when Gobber cuffed him for being the rude one this time.

"Lad, take it," Gobber said in a low voice, "You _know_ it's the best you'll get out of her."

"Whatever," Adrian muttered back, "Fine, apology accepted. Not that it'll stop you later." Gobber sighed and cuffed him a little harder, shutting Adrian up. The boy turned to glare at him, but his eyes caught on the Freya, who was trying to hide the hurt look in her eyes.

"I'll see you later, then." She said, straightening herself and walking away. Astrid sighed and jogged to catch up to her daughter.

"Very smooth," Gobber said the Adrian, "No wonder you're such a hit with the ladies."

"Shut up, Gobber…." Adrian said half-heartedly as he combed back his hair with a hand, "You know I didn't think that one through."

"No kiddin'? I thought ye' had it all planned out!" The smith exclaimed, feigning shock.

"Thank you so very much." The boy grumbled as Toothless gave Gobber a scathing glare.

"Anytime, lad. Now get yer guardian to stop looking like he's goin' to try to do somethin' violent."

"No promises," Hiccup said as he appeared, passing a mug of water to Adrian, "He's not much for taking orders."

"Ah! And now it's a party!" Gobber said brightly, "Come and join us, Hiccup!"

"I had been planning on it…." Hiccup said, raising an eyebrow, "What was that I just saw?"

"Ah, the lovers were making up!" Gobber said, laughing as Adrian choked on a mouthful of water and turned a ferocious red.

"We are _not_ lovers…." He coughed, making the smith laugh harder.

"Gobber….. Seriously." Hiccup sighed.

"Well, there was an attempt to make up, even if it wasn' a lover's spat."

"Do I want to know?" Hiccup asked as Toothless shook his head vigorously, "That bad, huh?"

"No worse than usual with prying an apology out of yer daughter." Gobber said, his laughing fit dying down. Adrian thought it best to remain silent and concentrate on getting his face back to its normal color.

"Ah, you're right," Hiccup said the dragon beside him, "I _don't_ want to know."

"I didn't exactly make it easy." Adrian admitted before clamming up again.

"Oh boy…."

"Well, I see you have an honor guard," Stoick observed as he joined the small group, "How are you feeling?"

"Get chewed on by a dragon when they're teething feels better," Adrian grumbled, " And I _do_ know how that feels."

"Unfortunately, you'd best start getting over it. You have quite a night ahead of you."

"I'll suffer through…." Adrian said, reaching out and scratching Toothless behind an ear, "Unless someone tries to off me before I can even start."

"I'll see to it that they don't." Stoick said, the promise almost a threat to anyone who'd been thinking it. Adrian gave him a ghost of a smile and murmured his thanks, to which Stoick brushed off with a shrug as he found a pillar to lean against. Hiccup dropped down in the empty space on Adrian's other side and Toothless settled in front of the boy's spot by the fireplace, growling softly at anyone who came too close.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

Freya sighed and poked at her plate, unable to stomach anything on it. She had really messed up this time, and Adrian had actually gotten hurt. Normally he'd brush off her temper with a shrug and slowly lead her off topic until she couldn't remember why she was yelling at him, but not this time.

"Well, I'd never have thought the boy was….."

"I knew there was something about him…"

Whispers whirled around Freya, saying venomous things, angry things; it was almost to the point where she wanted to cover her ears and shut her eyes tight until she could no longer hear them. He'd been her friend! He'd protected her! And this was what she'd done to him in return. She'd abandoned him; made him an enemy to the place that had become his home.

"He's been a good lad! I don't see what-"

"You say that _now!_ Wait until-"

Freya rested her chin in her hand and stared miserably at the table, trying to shut those voices out. It wasn't until she thought she'd succeeded that she realized the voices _had_ stopped. Looking around, she saw why.

Adrian had finally gotten to his feet and was looking around the hall as Stoick motioned for the crowd to quiet down.

"Hel's throne…." Freya breathed, feeling guilt come crashing down in renewed force. She covered her eyes with a hand and took a deep breath, trying to keep from bolting. She jumped when Astrid placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Eyes up." Astrid said; a phrase she used a lot when she was practicing combat with Freya. Just another fight to face.

Fighting off a red hue, the girl turned her gaze in Adrian's direction as he faced the occupants of the Great Hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

Adrian cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to start. Hiccup tapped the side of his leg, passing the boy his mug of water. With a whispered thanks, Adrian sipped at it. Toothless cocked his head, trying to figure out why Adrian wasn't talking.

"It's a little harder than that, buddy." Hiccup mumbled to the dragon. The Night Fury snorted and turned his head to the side, grumpily showing his impatience.

"Hiccup," Adrian rasped, his voice barely audible, "Help."

"How?"

"What do I do?"

"Er… Lay down some guidelines?"

"What?" Adrian hissed incredulously.

"Um, you know, if they can interrupt or not. I don't know!"

"I'll…. I'll try." The boy took a deep breath, then another. The words stuck in his throat like the last drops of honey in a barrel.

"Just start from the beginning…" Stoick said in a low voice, placing one immense hand on the boy's shoulder.

"O-okay," Adrian cleared his throat and let his eyes wander over his deathly silent audience, "Alright. I know that what happened this morning was a little too exciting for a lot of us. And I- Er… Well, I'm pretty sure you want to know just what the heck happened."

"Yer tellin' me!" A voice called from the back of the Hall, followed by several 'shut up's. Adrian faltered for a moment, then bit the inside of his cheek and tried again.

"Well, don't worry about that," He said, trying to put a little sass into his voice, "Because now you can hear the whole damned story."

A hiss of whispers erupted through the Hall, some trying to rise to a shout so that they could be addressed. Stoick raised his hand and they fell silent.

"But it _starts_ with you _listening_," Adrian said, "Not constantly interrupting, though I know you enjoy doing it."

When the only chuckles came from Gobber and Hiccup, Adrian sighed.

"Okay, look. I'll start from the beginning and I don't want any interruptions. If there's something you _think_ you need to know, put a hand in the air. Any shout outs will be completely ignored. And before you start your snarling," Adrian raised his voice over those that had indeed tried to start snarling, "Think about whether or not you want to hear this. If you'd rather pick at small things all night and harass me, leave now."

Across the Hall, Freya smiled weakly. Adrian did have the ability to shut people up every now and then, didn't he? And since he knew everyone wanted an explanation for that morning, nobody was going to interrupt, and nobody was going to leave.

"All right then. I come from an island very far South of here, where the sun shines for most of the year and it only gets cold at night. It's home to a lot more than what can be found on Berk; more animals and plants, even an immense city. Though, I do admit, we lack dragons," Adrian said, shrugging as a few stifled chuckles rippled around the crowd, "And for the first half of my life, it was more than anyone could ask for in their homeland. Yes?" He pointed to a hand that had gone into the air.

"Wha's the name of this island you come from?"

"_Atlantis_."

XXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

Dun-dun-dunnnnn!

Hope that's enough to have you guys looking forward to the next chapter. I certainly am! And don't worry, I didn't just pluck a random mythological place out of the air and go crazy. I actually did my homework! I researched the existing places that have been named as historical 'Atlantis' sites, so I have a little bit of ground to stand on. I also tried to incorporate the cultural aspects I found that were supposed to be part of Atlantis' culture. Like I said, I actually tried on this. The place I finally decided on was one of the sites that was most likely: Santorini, the remainder of an island in the Aegean Sea. The stuff people have found was down right fascinating; I spent all day reading what I could find. But, because history can leave enough flexibility for me, due to lack of more information I _did_ add my own twists.

Anyways, hope you're still enjoying the story! Read, enjoy and review!

Oh yes, and a warning to everybody: School has started for me. That's why this update is so late. I'm very, very sorry about that. Unfortunately, it's not gonna be the only time during the school year. I have professors that enjoy working your butt off, so I spend a lot of my time with homework these days. I will try to post as often as possible, but that is likely going to take longer than it did over the summer. I'll do my best for you!


	9. Chapter 9

So, I have just reached the conclusion, after finishing this chapter, that I _might_ need to bump up the rating for this story if I'm to follow fanfic rules. So, for those that enjoyed the light-hearted stuff, don't worry, it'll be back. I just didn't quite realize how heavy some of my stuff was until I put it in writing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrian spun to see where the voice had come from.

The men that had been taken prisoner were still tied to their pillar, their leader fixing Adrian with a level stare, respect glinting in his small dark eyes.

"…. Yes," Adrian said slowly, "That's the name that most have for it. My people call it _siemv'i_, but it is known as Atlantis to those who know of it through other means, so we can just call it that, I suppose."

"Yes," The man said, nodding, "Wind speakers."

"W-what?" Adrian asked, then paused, "Oh. That."

"Wind speakers?" Hiccup asked, making Adrian squirm.

"Wind speakers are what my people are often called, kind of a stupid name…." He admitted, loud enough for everyone else to hear, "It's because we have the gift of tongues-"

"The gift of what?" Came a voice from the back. Adrian glared until the person who'd said it sheepishly put their hand in the air.

"Thank you," He said flatly, "The gift of tongues, or for those who might not understand, is the ability to speak several languages. The people of my land have a natural gift that makes it easy for us to learn any language in a short amount of time. Which is why I am fluent in your tongue, while they," Adrian gestured to the men tied to the pillar, "Can only speak in broken sentences. But we got completely off track with that….

"I grew up on Atlantis, as I said before, and the foundations of our civilization are pretty simple. We were ruled by a small council, consisting of three men and three women, that would concern themselves with the affairs that affected the island, while more local leaders would take care of the daily life among the city and the outer ring. Yes?"

"Outer ring?"

"Atlantis is made up of two rings of land and three rings of water, water covering outside, middle and center, while the land rested in between. Much like a target, or the rings on a shield. The inner ring of land was where the city itself was, while farmlands and the defensive wall rested on the outer ring. There were large bridges in between at four separate locations, coinciding with North, East, South and West. The bridges were huge, equivalent to three of ships in width."

A ripple of whispers ran through the Hall again, and this time Adrian waited it out. When the last one finally fell away, Stoick nodded and he continued.

"My personal story begins on the outskirts of the city of the Inner Ring, in a small, but prosperous district called the Pure Water District. I grew up as the son of the district's matron, the woman who ruled as the local overseer, and the youngest of four children. I had three older sisters, all as hot-tempered as my father and as lovely as my mother. We had a small estate at the center of the district and through it we took care of the community, journeying once a year to the main palace to meet with the other district leaders and the High Council. Yes?"

"When do ye get around to explaining how you got _here_?"

"I was _about to_," Adrian said irritably, "I'm sorry if you're getting _bored_. I'm just starting from the beginning, like you all wanted me to."

"Ye didn' have to take so _long_ about-"

"Shut up." Freya said, staring straight ahead as the whole Hall turned to stare at her.

"What-"

"Just let him finish," She said, fighting a blush down, "When he's done, then you can make an idiot of yourself. But the rest of us want to hear, so shut up."

Freya couldn't meet Adrian's eyes, but she knew that he was giving her a weak smile in silent gratitude.

"Back to that yearly trip," He said, "I was about nine when things changed. It was the end of harvest season and we left, as usual, to meet with the High Council. But as we traveled, we noticed some changes. At one of the checkpoints into another district, we were searched thoroughly. On the road, we could see extra warriors posted out, just waiting for something. We didn't find out why until we reached the Inner City and had the first audience with the High Council.

"That year, there was someone new there- Yes?" Adrian sighed.

"If it was a meeting of a Council, why were children allowed?"

"That's actually a good question….," Adrian admitted, "In my culture, the adults believed children should be welcome into almost any environment so that they may learn. Even in the meetings of island affairs. Does that answer your question?"

"Aye, lad. Go on."

"Anyways, that year, there was someone I didn't recognize. And I don't mean that he was a countryman I didn't recognize. He was very different. Instead of dark hair and brown skin, this man was blonde and pale as ice. And instead of our lean, muscled build, he was structured like a mountain. And with him were men that came from many other places, and all sorts of colors and shapes that I can't even begin to describe them all. But they all made me think the same thing. They had to be killers.

"Like I said, our young are raised knowing the business of our elders, so I was there when he was introduced as Aulder, an emissary from a land across the ocean, who had come to speak with us of many matters. At that age, I didn't understand much of what he was saying, but as the years have gone by, I have experienced most of what he had in mind.

"His words brought news of trade opportunities and alliances across what I now know as the Inland Ocean, but the Elders knew it was a threat. He was trying to get a small hold on Atlantis to access our resources. The Elders told him that Atlantis had all it needed, but that his offer would be considered. It was a gentle 'no'. After that, the Council disbanded for the day.

"That night, my mother explained that the next day we were to wear our weapons into the Council Hall. I was still confused, but I didn't disobey. Now, I know that my mother was slowly preparing Atlantis' Council an exit should this foreigner try anything. In the end, she succeeded, but it wasn't enough to save the island as whole…."

Adrian sighed and sipped at his mug of water to give himself some time. He had hoped he would never have to relive this part of his life, but here he was.

"By the end of the week, many of the District families came to the Hall, dressed as if they were headed to war. I think that by then the foreigner had figured out that we wanted him to leave, or we would make him leave. So he made a great show of thanking us for our time on the island and said he would bring our answer back to his leaders. But once again, my mother was two steps ahead of him. She convinced the night watch to strengthen their ranks. The part she couldn't have anticipated was just how many of the foreigners had come. The Inner City was on the inner island; the foreigners had traveled from the shores of the outer one. That night, the foreigners attacked and the island fell. Many of the outer island districts hadn't been prepared and they folded like paper. My mother had managed to get word around the inner island, but not many had been as prepared as they could have. One by one, each district fell as the force of sheer numbers overwhelmed us. For every foreigner we killed, there were three to take his place. Finally, even the Inner City fell, with all the district leaders still trapped there. But we had been ready, so we used whatever means we could to escape with the High Council, the core of our nation. If they had died, so would have our will to fight, I'm sure.

"After that, I don't know what happened, except for what I can gather from rumors. I got separated from my parents during one of the attacks and the other side found me. However, they didn't kill me. Instead, they took me to their leader, Aulder, so that he could decide what to do with me.

"My fate was to be a bargaining chip, until I foolishly let slip that I could understand everything my enemy said. After that, Aulder wanted the island more than ever. Imagine what it must have meant for him. A whole nation of translators, and all he needed to do was get them to bend to his will. Trade opportunities that had been blocked due to language barriers were now opened, the ability to communicate across entire armies. I don't know all that he had in mind, but I know enough….. Freya?"

Freya had put a trembling hand in the air, curiosity gnawing at her without mercy.

"What happened to your family?"

"They," Adrian hesitated, swallowed, then tried again, "My mother was made an example, once they caught her. And they didn't do it without her causing them some serious trouble before they did. They hung her from the city walls. My oldest sister was sent away to what Aulder called the 'Lords', and I can only guess for what. My middle sisters, the twins…. I never found out. The only one I know for sure is my father. He brought me home after the island finally surrendered, promising good behavior from our house if Aulder would just spare it. Two years later, he sent me away as a translator with one of Aulder's fleets, saying it was our 'duty' to the Empire. By that time, I knew that I could do nothing except wait to see what fate had planned for me. My father had abandoned me to the will of our enemy and the sea gods he passed among.

"I traveled with them for three years, across land and sea, watching as this monster's armies devoured land after land for his lords, destroying cultures and peoples alike. I saw the defeat in every nation's eyes, and I know exactly how it felt to be burdened by the chains of slavery. And I also knew the taste of defiance, because it was often carved into me. But unlike most of the other conquered nations, I knew how to make it count. And I made it count all the way up until I was floating among the wreckage of a ship I helped sink in the frozen waters a league from this very island."

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

The silence that followed was so powerful that Freya felt like she was suffocating. The slightest movement could be heard across the Hall and no one dared break it. But someone needed to, before they spent the night frozen in place.

"Why was your ship in our waters?" Snoutlout asked, shattering the awful silence. Everyone could breathe again.

"There's something…. Something on Berk that they want," Adrian said, "I don't know what it was. Some type of key, or something. I don't know. Because I could understand them, they tried to keep me ignorant since I caused enough trouble as it was."

"What kind of key?"

"I don't know. I told you, they wouldn't tell me."

"Wouldn't they have told you if they were looking for it? Someone to inquire in the natural language?" Hiccup asked. Adrian grimaced.

"I- er….. They weren't too fond of me. Anything I was to ask was on a very strict need-to-know basis."

"Oh?"

"I had this…. habit…. of warning nations we entered in advance. Aulder wasn't much of a fan of that."

A wave of voices erupted through the Hall at Adrian's confession that lasted until Stoick actually had to bellow to get them to quiet down. Adrian sipped at his water again and sank into a sitting position against the fireplace.

"Any questions?" He asked, his voice sounding drained.

"That's it?" Someone asked from the back of the Hall.

"Well, some thought I was taking too long, so… yeah." Adrian said, his eyes flicking to the Vikings that had been hurrying him along. They turned red and found interest in the bottom of their mugs as those around them glared.

"What was it like?" Ariela asked softly from the front, "I mean, being among them."

"It's not something you'd really want to know. Aside from painful."

"We need to know what we're up against, Adrian," Ariela argued, "They said they'd be back. We can't be caught unaware again. We're lucky we managed to beat them back this time."

"Oh."

"She has a point, lad," Stoick said, "Can you get through it?"

Adrian looked around the stone silent room, eyes lingering on each face until he'd looked into the eyes of each Viking of Berk. All were full of determination and fire. Adrian closed his eyes and took a deep breath, memories flooding back from a place in his mind that he'd hoped he'd never have to reach.

"They are…. cruel. They either start that way, or they become that way. All lessons are taught through pain, there are no warnings. And some of us learned slower than others. I was probably one of the slowest. But unlike the unlucky ones, I was like that by choice. And there are marks to show for it."

"Marks? What kind of marks?" Astrid asked, voice hard.

"I can't- It's…. Here…." Adrian took a deep breath, got to his feet and slowly started to take of his shirt. He handed it to Hiccup and turned his back to the Hall. What followed were sharp intakes of breath and hushed whispers. Freya felt her chest tighten. How could anyone do that to _Adrian_?

Along the lines of his back and his sides were deep scars, ranging from pink to purple, signs of injuries from a time ago. Some were lines, other were strange symbols that made the Hall fill with questions.

Adrian lifted an arm to show a marking on the side of his chest.

"Defiant….," He said, voice bitter. He pointed to the ones below his shoulder blades, "Truculent, savage," Another across the small of his back, "Irreverent," He hesitated, then briefly touch the one branded to the back of his neck, "Murderer."

"What?" A voice pierced the air. It wasn't until all eyes were on her that Freya realized that it had been her own mouth that had formed the word. She saw Adrian flinch. He turned and faced the Hall, his grey eyes like gloomy storm clouds.

"Those were the names they called me," He admitted, "The things I did. I defied them every chance I could get. I fought, I betrayed, I killed. I did everything in my power to slow them down. To make each of their conquests as difficult as I could. And all of those names are stones on my heart, but the little comfort I have in them is that I gave others a fighting chance. And I even succeeded in one case. They drove us back and we were forced to retreat. It was the one day I didn't care how much pain they inflicted on me; it was worth it."

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

The night slowly passed and in small groups, the villagers of Berk left the Hall, disturbed in heart and mind. Those that remained in the Hall continued to ask Adrian what they dared, trying hard not to tromp on anymore of his memories. And he tried just as hard to answer what he could.

Freya tried to sit through it all, but after a while, she had to leave, sickened by what she heard. Why hadn't she noticed those marks on him in all the time she had known him? Then it hit her.

All the times they'd gone swimming and he'd kept his shirt on to 'keep from ruining her reputation', always with a dash of sarcasm and a laugh. The times he'd always keep her from being directly behind him, 'in case of a friendly sneak attack'. Why he always wore long sleeves, even in the forge. Why he refused to let her visit while he was stuck in bed with a cold. And her dad had known since that night Adrian had come to them, yet never said a word. Or her grandfather, or Gobber. They had been silent.

What else was he hiding?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Okay. Depressing chapter, I'm aware. But, as in showbiz, the show must go on. Even with its depressing bits. And like I said, I didn't even realize it until I got there. It even depressed me after I proofread it. I also realize it's not really up to par with my last few chapters. This one was really difficult to write, not just because of content.

Sorry…

Hopefully it didn't scar you too much. I promise emotional band-aids in future chapters, so I hope I don't lose any of you because of this. I really do like having readers.

Anyways, read, er…. hopefully enjoy bits of it, and review, preferably without any "WHAT THE HELL!". Those scare me. Anyways, I'll try to pump out another chapter for you soon, hopefully with more sunshine and daises. Unless you don't like daises. Then I'll have to come up with a different flower.


	10. Chapter 10

Freya had dozed off, leaning against the doorsill to the Great Hall, her arms curled around her knees. And that's where Adrian found her, with dawn only a few hours off. Hiccup and Astrid must have missed her on their way out, because he'd spent an hour in silence and solitude afterwards to try to gather the strength to face Berk in the daylight. With a small smile, he crouched down next to her, lightly shaking her shoulder.

"Cricket, wake up," He said, receiving a grumpy groan in return, "Don't you have to get home?"

"Go 'way." Freya grumbled sleepily and half-heartedly swatted at him.

"Freya, really, you might want to get up. You'll get sick if you stay out here."

"Been worse." She retorted, her eyes still closed.

"Don't make me toss you over my shoulder, you know I can." Adrian threatened. Freya's eyes shot open.

"Don't you dare."

"Then up." He offered her a hand, which she took after a moment's hesitation. Adrian tugged her to her feet and steadied her as her legs protested being in such a cramped position for so long. Finally, when she could feel her toes, she lightly pushed away and leaned against a wall.

"Did you-" She began, then faltered.

"Did I what?" Adrian asked, grey eyes wary.

"Did you really….. kill?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper. Adrian turned away, eyes shut tight.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You really know how to get straight to the point, don't you?" He asked. Freya grimaced.

"Look who's in my family."

"True," He sighed heavily, "Yes, I killed. And for multiple reasons."

"Like what?"

"When did you leave?"

"Shortly after you started talking about your first few weeks with their fleet."

"Oh…. Walk with me?" He asked, his voice pleading. Freya nodded and fell into step with him, not sure where they were going.

"I…. I killed for many reasons. Sometimes it was officers, to throw off the chain of command. Not everyone was as adept as Aulder in smacking me down like a disobedient child. Other times…. I was asked to. By- by people who were suffering. They were from lands where the death gods were merciful and they would rather be welcomed into the land of the dead than suffer years of torment and slavery."

"They wanted you to?"

"And the ones who were dying anyways. I…. I took away the pain."

"That's horrible….."

"It is. But I had to agree with them; death was better. But I had a duty to those who knew nothing of the ones I sailed with. _Someone_ needed to tell them. And I wasn't sure how strong-willed my people were. So I figured I had to. Maybe if word got out that one of my kind was betraying the enemy at every turn, the others would take strength from that. Maybe they'd start to fight back as well."

"Are your people great warriors?" Freya asked, "Could you have held them off if you were prepared?"

"Possibly longer than we did," Adrian admitted, "But they had numbers on us. And while I was with them, I was at a disadvantage."

"Like what?"

"Like, I was eleven. And I've never completed my training," Adrian said dryly, "A warrior finishes their training at seventeen. That's how old I am now. I have six years of my life missing from growing into adulthood. I have no way of knowing what it means to grow into a man. I don't know what I should about…. Well, most of my culture. Sky's end, I don't know anything about taking the responsibilities of an adult, how to lead a fighting force, courting girls, or… or… I don't know."

"Why would that matter?" Freya asked suspiciously, "Have anybody in mind?"

"Wha- No!" Adrian spluttered, "It's just a part of growing up and I'm clueless!"

"No kidding."

"I will kick you." Adrian threatened. Freya couldn't stop from cracking a grin. They may have a very rough patch to smooth over, but he seemed to relax as she teased him.

"Only if you want kicked back."

"You kick hard…." Adrian grumbled, rubbing the side of his chest as memories of cracked ribs came to mind.

"Still want to try?"

"_No_."

"Oh come on," Freya bounced in front of him and popped him a fist on the shoulder, "Try me. I dare you."

"Freya-" Adrian was interrupted as she landed another one on his other shoulder.

"Come on."

"Seriously- Stop, before you regret it."

"Ha!" Freya took another swing, trying to loosen him up, "Just give it a tr-"

She was caught off guard as Adrian blocked her fist, secured a hand around her forearm and turned his back to her. He boosted her up and over his shoulder, landing her hard on the ground. He kneeled so that he had a knee on either side of her head and bent down, almost nose to nose with her.

"Honestly," He said, his voice low, "Now is not the time. I don't want to hurt you, and I could. Remembering what I went through reminds me of how I used to fight. And it wasn't formally; it was like a wild animal. Trust me, it's better if you give it a while."

Freya tried to get out a response, but the wind was still knocked out of her. Adrian rocked back on his heels, scooped her up by the armpits and brought her to her feet. He spun her around and held her shoulders.

"Okay?"

Freya managed a nod, gasping for air. Adrian sighed.

"Sorry…."

"Fine." Freya wheezed, slowly getting back the use of her lungs.

"You sure?"

Freya kicked his shin hard enough to make him swear.

"Positive," She said, "Truce?"

"Yes," Adrian said, rubbing his shin and blinking back tears, "Does this mean we're on speaking terms again?"

"I suppose," Freya mused, "Do _you _think we're even?"

"Clean slate."

"Slate?"

"Never mind," Adrian shook his head and straightened, "We're good."

"Alright."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Freya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For lying to you."

"Oh….," Freya stared at her toes, "I- I guess you had your reasons. I mean, I know I wouldn't exactly like talking about the people I hurt. Or…. Or killed."

"I promise you, it's not worth it. There aren't exactly flowers and fireworks to go with that kind of thing."

"What's a fireworks?" Freya asked, curious of Adrian's new word. Adrian's face slowly lowered to his palm.

"I keep forgetting….," He sighed, "It's a form of technology. I've seen them before. It's a creation that harnesses fire-"

"Impossible!" Freya protested, "Fire is uncontrollable."

"Nobody told that to the people who made fireworks. They use them to entertain. The can make all sorts of colors and shapes. It's indescribable."

"How can you tame fire?"

"I don't know how they do it," Adrian admitted, "But it's pretty awesome."

"Sounds dangerous…."

"Undoubtedly."

"You could hurt yourself."

"Oh, for certain."

"Where do we get one?" Freya asked, green eyes alight. Adrian rolled his eyes.

"Something for another time, Cricket."

"Oh come on!"

"We're nowhere near close enough to the land that makes them. Unless you want to take a month-long trip on dragon back or spend a year in a boat?"

Freya paled.

"I didn't think so."

"I could settle with you telling me what they're like." Freya admitted.

"You know when Toothless shoots a fireball?"

"Yeah…."

"Like that, but in all sorts of colors."

"No kidding?"

"Yeah," Adrian tussled her hair, "They could even combine them sometimes."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I'd love to."

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

"Pay up." Hiccup said, holding a hand out to Gobber, who grumbled profanity as he handed over the proper coinage.

"Filthy, smart aleced, half-"

"You're just jealous."

"What makes yeh think tha?" Gobber asked heatedly.

"Because I know my daughter better. You know Adrian a little better than me. Who's more likely to hold a grudge?"

"Aye, the littler one."

"Exactly."

"I still feel the urge to tan yer hide."

"You've always wanted to do that."

"No' always."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Jus' whenever yeh caused an incident." Gobber amended. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Odin forgive us…. Would you like to come by the house for a bit? Maybe warm up a little?"

"Nah, I'm fine, Hiccup. I'll just go ge' the forge fire a little warmer tonight. Tha' boy had too much of a story te tell, the least I could do is have the place comfortable."

"Don't you think he'd prefer somewhere else?"

"Says he likes it. Any reason he gives me is questionable, so I've given up."

"_You've _given up?" Hiccup asked incredulously, crossing his arms.

"Now don' you get your undies in a bunch!" Gobber said, "It's not the first time!"

"The last time you gave up was when you tried to teach me how to swing a sword. That went well, now didn't i-"

"Stop your yappin', I have work to do." Gobber grumbled, retreating from Hiccup's politely stifled chuckles.

"Knew you were a softy…." Hiccup mumbled as he turned in the direction of his own home.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

"So….," Adrian glanced over his shoulder at Freya, who was concentrating on kicking a rock in front of her, "Should I be walking you home now?"

"Eh, I know how to get to my own house." Freya said, concentrating on trying to clip Adrian's heel with her rock. He must have known what she was up to; his feet always moved at just the right second.

"Doesn't mean I can't use my manners."

"Manners? On Berk? Please."

"You do have them."

"Yes, the 'mind your manners, we have guests'. Then we pick up an axe and politely ask them to leave- Oh…. Sorry."

"What's done is done," Adrian sighed, "And earlier wasn't exactly.…. Well-"

"You don't have to say anything," Freya told him, "I know what you mean."

"You always know what I mean, even if you've never done anything remotely like what I'm trying to reference."

"That's because I can see inside your brain." Freya said in a spooky voice.

"Creeper." Adrian grumbled, which Freya shrugged off.

"Doubt not the divine powers-"

"Shut up, Cricket." Adrian said, giving her a light push. Freya pushed back.

"You can't make me."

"Betcha I can."

"Try it." Freya challenged, skipping away from his swipe. Adrian sighed.

"I'll just wait until you're not expecting it."

"Oh come on! How am I supposed to get any exercise around here if the only person who can keep up with me is-"

"Um…. Been up for most of the night. A little kindness?"

"Oh…..," Freya halted, "Adrian, I'm so sorry."

"Wha-? Freya, stop it."

"Really…. I mean it…..," Freya's chest tightened, "I didn't mean to force you up there and to tell your story and-" Adrian let out an exasperated sigh and yanked Freya into a hug.

"Stop. It."

"But-"

"It was going to happen eventually, I was just running from it."

"You don't run from anything," Freya protested into his shoulder, "Well…. Except-"

"Yes, yes, except the baby dragons…." Adrian rolled his eyes. He had managed to become the favorite teething toy in the entire village and often had to find creative ways to hide.

"But other than that." Freya mumbled.

"Maybe I just put on a brave front," He said, wincing as Freya's knuckles managed to plant between his ribs, "Or not…. What was that for?"

"Whatever it is that's poking my eye out," Freya protested, pushing away from Adrian, "What in Hel's throne is under your shirt?"

"Oh," Adrian hooked a finger through the leather string around his neck and pulled up a smooth stone wrapped in a cage of tight cord, "Probably poked yourself on this."

"The sorrow stone," Freya blinked at him, "You still have it?"

"You lent it to me."

"I didn't think you'd keep it!" Freya protested, cupping her hands and letting Adrian place the stone between her palms.

"Why not?"

"Well….," Freya blushed, "It's kinda stupid…. And-"

"No, not really. It's worked fine since the day you let me borrow it. Actually, I might not even need it anymore."

"But-" Freya's thumb found the smooth indent and began lightly rubbing it, perplexed.

"Honest, Cricket, I don't think I need it. You lent it to me to take my mind off the dragons when I first came here, then I started using it whenever my past tried to creep up on me. Since it's caught up, I guess I don't have a use for the stone."

"Are you sure?" Freya asked, eyeing him warily. Adrian rolled his eyes and pulled the leather cord over his head.

"Pretty close to positive."

"But not completely."

"Freya, take the damned rock."

"But-"

"You still need it, from what I see. For different reasons, if I recall. Personal things?"

"That are none of your business."

"Females," Adrian grumbled, then forced Freya's hand to close over the stone, "Consider your property returned."

"But-"

"Stop." Adrian rapped his knuckles on Freya's forehead, making her recoil. She made a noise similar to a growl and turned away, shoving the stone into her belt pouch.

"Fine."

"Good. That's settled. Now off to bed with you."

"And what of you, mister?" Freya asked suspiciously. Adrian nervously cleared his throat.

"I'll- uh, I'll be heading in that direction as well."

"Anytime in the next fifteen minutes?"

"Why does this matter to you?" Adrian asked defensively.

"Well, let's see. If I had just admitted to an entire village my whole dark and mysterious past, I'd probably be emotionally worn out, then factor in how late I was up doing so….." Freya raised an eyebrow at him. Adrian winced.

"Fine."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"You aren't fibbing?"

"Yes, Mother! I'm going to bed! I'm going! Do you see me walking?" Adrian protested, making his way towards the forge.

"Goodnight!" Freya called, to which he answered with a raised hand. Smiling weakly, Freya spun to come face to face with Toothless, who was sitting on his haunches right behind her.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

Toothless cocked his head as Freya fell backwards, holding in a scream. After a few moments of registering, the girl let out a breath between gritted teeth.

"Toothless, you scared me!" She hissed, placing a hand over her heart, which was crashing about inside her rib cage.

The dragon gave her an apologetic look and crooned a little. The girl stood up and sighed.

"It's alright. I just wasn't expecting you there. Then I turn around and you're…. there. It was…. Well, you know."

Toothless snorted, displaying some understanding and a little shame.

"It's alright! Honest! Just… Warning next time. Please."

Toothless shook his head and exhaled, but gave her a look that said he would try to be more apparent in the future.

"Thanks," Freya said with a cock-eyed smile, so much like her father's, "Dad sent you to come fetch me, didn't he?"

Toothless tried to put on a mask of draconian innocence. Two things that didn't tend to go hand in hand.

"Knew it," Freya grumbled, stalking past the dragon, "Come on, let's go home." Despite the grumpy tone of her voice, Toothless still crooned happily as he trotted alongside her, very proud of his accomplishment of round up the wild Freya-critter.

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxx

The hour finally catching up with her, Freya stumbled into her house, her mind only on her bed. So it came as no surprise that she was startled to see her mother waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom!"

"Yes?"

"You- I've- But…. Oh forget it."

"Been startled more than once tonight?"

"Something like that," Freya grumbled under her breath, trying not to glance at Toothless, "Why are you still up?"

"Waiting for you."

Freya's blood went cold.

"Um… Err…. Any particular reason?"

"To ask you one or two questions before you go to bed."

"Ah… Oh…. Um-"

"Things patched up?"

It took all of Freya's self control not to let out a sigh of relief.

"Um…. Sort of. Things aren't ever going to be the same."

"You hurt him pretty bad." There was no emotion in Astrid's voice, but her icy blue eyes were ever observant of what Freya's may be.

"Yes….. I- I know…."

"Do you think things will be very different?"

"Well…. I'm getting the sinking feeling there will be less camping trips together."

"He's not going to like that."

"Neither am I. But we usually went when we wanted to talk and hang out without getting constantly interrupted. Something tells me we won't be sharing as much anymore."

"Something tells me you're going to be scarce yourself for the next couple of days."

"Maybe only a week or so."

"You'll be alright?"

"I was camping long before Adrian came to us. I'll be fine."

"There's more of them now. You're more likely to run into them."

"I know. But I'll be okay. If things get bad, I'll go to the cave instead of my usual clearing."

"The rainy season starts soon."

"Then I'll probably go to the cave."

"Is that your final choice? I want to be able to find you if something is wrong."

"Yes. I'll go to the cave. There, settled. Can I go to bed?" Freya asked, her temper slowly flaring like a fire. It went out immediately after Astrid's stare hardened.

"So tell me," Astrid's voice was terrifyingly level, "Is he still a three-eyed monster?"

"Mom-"

"I'm waiting." Freya flinched. Astrid had always liked Adrian, not as a son, but as a close friend of her daughter. If she lied about how she felt, Astrid would know.

"He's… he's not a monster to me…. Anymore," Freya swallowed and continued, "But he's…. different. I can't ever see him as the same person. Because…"

"Because?" Astrid asked, a small spark hiding under the ice of her eyes. Freya couldn't put her finger on what it possibly could have meant.

"Because he's so much more than he used to be. I used to see him as a kid, like me-"

"Neither of you are kids."

"-But now he's more grown up than anybody I know. He's actually _suffered_. I know Berk has had its hard times, but no one has ever suffered like that," Freya felt her throat tighten and she had trouble breathing, "Mom, look at what they _did_ to him…."

Astrid's cold front came crashing down and she made it to Freya before the girl melted into silent tears. She hadn't meant to push her that far. She'd only wanted to know where they now stood. Now she knew.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

_ "What are you doing?"_

_Adrian spun, almost launching from his hiding place. Behind him, Freya was staring at him, a load of wood slung across her shoulder._

_ "Freya! I mean, um-"_

_ "If you're hiding from the dragons, it's not going to work. Come help. If you keep yourself busy, you'll begin to forget they're there."_

_ "Are you sure?" Adrian asked, slowly coming out of the gap between the houses he'd been using as a hiding place, "I mean, how would you know?"_

_ Freya's only answer was a raised eyebrow. Adrian let out a resigned sigh and joined her._

_ "You would know. They get annoying after a while, don't they?" He asked. When Freya didn't respond, he looked up to see her staring at him with a peculiar look on her face._

_ "What?" Adrian asked, trying to keep from cringing. Freya shook her head, then handed him half her current armful of wood. He almost staggered under the unexpected weight, then hurried to catch up._

_ "Come on."_

_ "Why do your parents make you carry so much?"_

_ "They don't."_

_ "Who?"_

_ "Me."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "You ask a lot of questions," Freya said, turning to face him again, "What if I started asking you a lot of-?"_

_ "Er… I'd feel like you were imposing on me, even though you're already imposing on the rest of my people, which would mean that you're prying when you have no right to?"_

_ Freya opened her mouth to answer him, then closed it and blinked. Adrian winced._

_ "Well, that was a bit to the extreme of what I was thinking…. I was more likely to say, it's none of your business…."_

_ "Oh."_

_ "You're seriously expecting us to eat you, aren't you?"_

_ "I'm not-!" Adrian halted as he saw the ghost of a smile flash across Freya's lips._

_ "So you do know how to argue."_

_ "What?"_

_ "Oh, hurry up." Freya said, trotting away with her load of firewood. Adrian scrambled to catch up._

_ Freya's pace was quick, making Adrian really have to work to keep her in sight. She skirted the outside of the village and plunged into the forest, following a slightly traveled path._

_ "Where are we taking this?" Adrian asked._

_ "Where do you come from?"_

_ "Why do you want to know?"_

_ "How did you get in our waters?"_

_ "How do you think?"_

_ Freya halted and whipped around to face him, green eyes ice cold._

_ "What's your real name?"_

_ "Adrian ahl Indegard." Adrian said, sick of the circle of questions. When Freya recoiled, a look of shock on her face, he cringed._

_ "You answered me."_

_ "Don't act so surprised."_

_ "You haven't answered anybody's questions since you came here."_

_ "How would you know?" Adrian asked defensively. Freya threw down the load and brought her hand back. Adrian braced himself. He flinched when Freya's hand lightly came to rest on the side of his face, almost butterfly-light._

_ "Because you always think someone's going to hurt you because of what you say," She said, gently forcing him to look at her, despite being shorter than him, "Adrian, we won't hurt you."_

_ "I-"_

_ "What's it like? Where you're from?" Freya asked suddenly, scooping up her load of wood and returning to her march down their small path._

_ "Uh-"_

_ "Is it cold, like Berk?" Freya mused, almost to herself, "Or is it somewhere warm?_

_ "You-"_

_ "What about the animals? What are they like? You do have animals, right?"_

_ "Could-"_

_ "I mean, it would-"_

_ "Stop!" Adrian exclaimed, "Just- just slow down! Quit bouncing from topic to topic like an overactive cricket!"_

_ "What's a cricket?" Freya asked quietly, cocking her head slowly to one side._

_ "Oh, for the love of-" Adrian stopped mid-sentence as he realized Freya was hanging on his words, actually waiting for an answer. He took a deep breath and let it out, then another. When she was still staring holes into the side of his head, he let more air out in a heavy sigh._

_ "Do you have paper? And maybe something to draw with?"_

_ "Of course!" Freya said, dropping her wood again and plopping on top of the stack, fishing a hand down her tunic, "I always carry some."_

_ "Er, why?"_

_ "Why what?" Freya asked, handing him an oil-treated leather envelope after he put down the wood he was carrying. Adrian opened it and pulled out the tightly bound book inside. It was bulging, as though it had been seamed, then seamed again as more pages had been added. He cracked it and flipped through some of the pages, trying to bite down any utterations. He glanced up quickly to see Freya concentrating hard on the edge of her book, her breath baited for a comment. He had to give her credit; they were quite good._

_ "These are," Adrian cleared his throat, "pretty life-like."_

_ "I try," Freya said, smiling, "Dad taught me a lot of the basics, then I expanded."_

_ "You did a really good job with this one here." Adrian said, tracing the outline of a flower. Freya blushed and her smile deepened. Adrian wondered why she didn't smile more; it lit up her face and added to her features._

_ "Thank you."_

_ "Mh-hm….," Adrian continued to flip through, his brows starting to sink on his forehead, "But you don't seem to be a fan of drawing one of the main features here…."_

_ "Dragons aren't quite my specialty," Freya's smile vanished, "I don't do moving things as well."_

_ "But this one here is just fin-"_

_ "Dragon's have more appendages than a bird, generally. So, what's a cricket?" Freya interrupted. Adrian sighed and sank down onto his own pile and held his hand out for the stick of charcoal that Freya was fiddling with. She handed it over and he began sketching._

_ After about five minutes later, Freya's voice broke sharply through Berk's crisp air._

_ "I am NOT a grasshopper!"_

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Crickets, grasshoppers, what's the difference? Obviously just location and some minor physical things. Lemme make it clear right here, Freya is not ignorant; she just lives on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. Adrian did not. I also thought you guys would like to know where the nickname came from, but I'll let your imagination fill in the blanks as to how it stuck.

Anyways, hope this chapter has continued your interest; I've been a bad child and haven't done my homework for the past few nights. I upped the rating as a safety precaution, though I'm not intending to get any more graphic. So if I do, it's an accident. Or I will give you a warning in advance. A very big warning.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

Read, enjoy and review!


	11. Chapter 11

By the time the sun was up, Freya was gone. It wasn't hard to tell when half the food had vanished.

"Gone already? She didn't get home all that long ago." Hiccup mumbled sleepily, wincing as the sounds of hundreds of dragons went about their loud morning routines. Astrid, who had already been up, shrugged.

"She needs time."

"I thought they made peace last night."

"Peace with each other, not with themselves."

"Mm," Hiccup stumbled over to the table and dropped into a chair, "Then a few days apart will be healthy."

"You think?"

"Astrid….. Freya."

"True. And Adrian?"

"What about Adrian?"

"How do you think he'll…" Astrid waved a hand, searching for a word.

"He's pretty creative," Hiccup said, reaching for the cup that Astrid had slid in front of him, "He'll be able to think of something….. Possibly."

"Possibly." Astrid agreed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Hiccup managed to crack a smile. Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Do you remember….," Hiccup choked back a laugh, "Do you remember the snare?"

"Oh gods, the snare." Astrid gave in to a smile of her own.

"And- and Freya?"

"I didn't know how colorful her language could get," Astrid started to laugh, "Oh, she was _so_ angry."

"Just- just hanging there. Calling him everything she could think of-"

"And Adrian, just sitting there with that troublemaker smile on his face."

"She _did_ start it."

"And he very much ended it."

"Do you remember-"

"Oh yes. It was the most splendid black eye I'd ever seen."

"And how his split lip would open up every time he grinned at her."

"She hated that."

"But it was worth the show. I couldn't bring myself to scold him."

"I wouldn't have listened." Adrian said from the other side of the door. Astrid swallowed a laugh and went to open it for him. She bit back a yelp when she saw him.

"Did you get _any_ sleep?"

"Erm…. No. No, not really." Adrian said, treating her to a weary smile.

"Well, promise Astrid you'll sleep tonight and she won't fuss," Hiccup said, wincing as his bad foot protested his decision to get to his feet, "What can we do for you?"

Suddenly, Adrian turned shy.

"Is…. Is Freya still here?"

"Don't think so. I'm guessing she left around dawn."

"Oh…." The look on his face was slowly breaking their hearts.

"Was there anything specific?" Astrid prodded. Adrian gave her a slightly miserable smile this time.

"Just….. wanted to try to talk to her. Seeing as the sun's up and all," He kicked the doorsill, "See if we could talk about yesterday a little."

"But-"

"Oh, I know we patched up the initial things," Adrian said quickly, putting their worries to rest, "I was just hoping to…. Well, to see where we stood."

"Oh…" Astrid tried to hide her grimace. Hiccup quickly jumped in to back her up.

"She shouldn't be too far out by now. Maybe you could catch up to her?"

"If I hunt her down, that's cornering her. You know that." Adrian's eyes were like a set of storm clouds, gloomy and dark.

"That's true," Hiccup sighed, "Adrian, I don't know what I can do to help."

"Well, currently, there's nothing any of us can do," Adrian shrugged and gave him a forced smile, "So I suppose we wait for her to get back."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Adrian turned to leave, "You did nothing wrong." He hopped the last step from the door and waved goodbye, heading for the rest of the village.

"He is going to be a mess…." Hiccup told himself as he closed the door.

"He shouldn't have to be." Astrid said, her voice strangled as if she was trying to hold back her anger.

"Astrid, I think this is the time where we're forced to stand back and let things take their course. If we continue to try to 'help', we could just make things much worse."

"It's not fair! We should be able to do something!" Astrid protested. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"But we can't. Not if we want things to be truly fixed. Only the gods have that power."

"Then they need to get a move on…." Astrid grumbled into Hiccup's shoulder.

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Freya kicked at the ground in front of her, slowly traveling down a slightly worn trail. Every now and then, she would begin to say something, then look behind her and remember that nobody was there.

"Has it really been that long?" She asked herself. With a frustrated sigh, Freya tugged on her backpack straps and forged on, trying to beat back the loneliness.

It had been years since she'd gone camping alone, three to be exact. This first time Adrian had tagged along, she hadn't noticed until the first night. After managing to bribe him out of cover with the thought of a blanket, the tradition had begun. Adrian had been quite adept at living off the land, teaching Freya things even she hadn't known, and standing as a perfect companion. He talked about little things, never prodding at her, and found an interest in her habits. He could even make a fire faster than she could.

The day crept on at a steady pace, Freya keeping time with the sun. After she'd stopped for a chance to massage her sore feet, she figured she had another hour before she made it to her destination. Another hour to be bored cross-eyed because there was no one to talk to.

_Gods, maybe I should have asked- _Freya shook her head vigorously. _No. What would we talk about? With all of this stuff fresh in my mind, all I would be able to ask is things he doesn't want to answer. So no, I did good not asking._

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Adrian fiddled with a piece of iron in his hand, laying back on his bed. He'd been doing this for the past few hours and was still at as loss for what to do.

"Well, I could go and see if Gobber needs my help," He announced to the wall, "I mean, at least I'd have-"

"Sorry lad, yeh'd just be underfoot!" Gobber said from the forge. Adrian sighed.

"So much for that," He grumbled in a low voice, "Rats…."

"Yeh could go help with the little scaly ones up at the-"

"They're all Zipplebacks," Adrian retorted, "I'd rather not have venom pumped into my system when they can't control the doses!"

"Well, yeh could always dodge faster."

"It's not the dodging, it's the being severely outnumbered." Adrian explained.

"Well then, yeh can't say I didn' try."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Then yeh're on yer own."

"Figures…." Adrian sat up with a groan. It might have been a little fast because his head spun and the headache he thought he'd gotten rid of during the night came roaring back.

"Oof…. Come on, up." He ordered himself, slowly getting to his feet.

"Yeh all right back there?"

"Fine." Adrian groaned, wincing at how pathetic it sounded. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself into the forge, trying not to gasp at the heat. Gobber was melting some iron down for molding, making it overwhelmingly hot. When the smith glanced at Adrian he did a double take, then shook his head.

"And did yeh sleep _at all_?"

"Er…." Adrian hurried through the forge in order to avoid answering that. Once he hit the fresh air of outside, he swallowed a lungful of the crisp air.

"Sky's end, thank you….," He mumbled, then took another breath as his headache faded slowly, "Okay, something to do…."

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Adrian ambled for a little until his wondering thoughts were interrupted by an indignant squawk. He looked down to say a tawny-scaled Terror sitting at his feet, staring at him expectantly.

"Oh drat, just when I thought I'd gotten rid of you….," He teased the little dragon, who just made another indignant noise, "Oh all right, come here." He stooped down and picked the little dragon up, cuddling her in his arms.

"Amber, we need to find someone who's more likely to take better care of you," He told her, rubbing her stomach until she produced the small rumble of a pleased dragon, " Doesn't help that you're disgustingly cute."

The dragon just cracked an eye and gave him what Adrian could have sworn was a smirk.

"Look, twit," Adrian told her, holding her at arms length so she would be grumpy enough to look at him, "I can't protect you forever, even if you're smaller than you should be. Pity only goes so far."

The dragon rolled its eyes and snorted.

"Brat…" Adrian grumbled as a last retort and gave in to cuddling her again. After a couple of minutes, he jiggled his arm a bit and Amber grumbled but crawled up to his shoulder to curl around his neck. Trying not to laugh, the boy continued his journey to find something to do.

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Freya groaned and dropped her bag just in the entrance to a large cave, stretching her shoulders. It had been a while since she'd carried a full load of gear too. With a few grumbled curses, she trotted further in to make sure she wouldn't be sharing the cavern with any unwanted company. After a quick scan, she nodded in satisfaction. Everything was how they had left it.

They.

Another wave of loneliness washed over her and she bit her lower lip until it started to bleed, the coppery taste making her feel sick.

"No," She told herself firmly, "Don't even go there. You know you need time, he knows you need time. Hel's throne, he needs time too. Just leave it."

_You don't want to._ A voice in her mind told her, making her bite her lip harder, then wince as she was reminded it was already bleeding.

"Oh, Hel's throne….." She grumbled, exasperated. She shook her head and forced herself to keep busy. She started by wandering to the back of the cave to raid the enormous wood pile her and Adrian had created over the summer in order to prepare for any winter trips or times of laziness. After gathering a healthy armful, she returned to the fire pit placed about thirty feet from the cave mouth and organized the wood into a nice pile, prepping it for that evening.

"Alright, kindling…" She mumbled, drawing her belt knife and flipping it once to catch it by the flat of the blade. After a quick inspection, she nodded and put it away as she left the cave in order to search for small sticks and, hopefully, some dry moss.

"After that last storm," Freya sighed, "Yeah right….."

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She'd been luckier than she'd hoped, finding that batch under that clump of pines where the leaves were so close together that they had sheltered a growth of moss. It had been dry and soft, and completely flammable. After dropping her sticks and moss off at the cave, Freya was off again, in search of moss that wasn't as dry. It wasn't hard. Cutting a large clump loose from the rocks nearby, Freya squeezed a corner until water dripped out, clear as rain. Twisting it hard, she held it over her mouth and tasted. It tasted clean.

"Excellent." She cut more clumps loose and brought them back to the cave as well. She fished through her bag and brought out a large, cloth wrapped bundle. Unwrapping the woolen strips, she brought out a large bowl and a large, flat stone with holes in it that curved towards the center. She placed the moss on top of the stone, then stacked that on top of the bowl. Fetching some of the extra stones by the fire pit, Freya placed those on top of the moist plants until water started to drip from them in a steady pattern. Nodding in satisfaction, she returned to her bag, leaving the moss to itself.

A moment later, Freya had a coil of waxed twine and three sharp hooks tucked in her belt pouch, a long, flexible rod of wood in her hand and a lightly woven bag slung over one shoulder. With what had to be the hundredth sigh that afternoon, she left the cave once more to start her final chore before she could relax: catching dinner.

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When Adrian saw Hiccup exiting the Great Hall looking like he was fighting off a headache, Adrian's eyebrow raised. Amber made a low trilling noise from his shoulder and looked at him expectantly.

"An excellent point," He told her, " I might be useful here, right?"

The little dragon trilled again and dug her claws lightly into his shirt as he began to move again.

Adrian climbed the stairs and pulled open the heavy doors. He strolled into the Hall and passed the scattered tables and benches. He stepped over someone's discarded mug and came to a halt a few feet away from the pillar their prisoners had been tied to. He blinked in confusion before he heard a warning growl that sounded familiar. Adrian turned to see Toothless snarling at the man who had become the unofficial spokesperson for the group they had captive as he waved Adrian over to the table at which they now sat.

"_Atlantiski!_" The man called, causing Toothless to snarl just a little louder. The man gave the dragon a sour look, but returned to sitting and behaving. Adrian's mouth twisted in confusion, but he shrugged and made his way to them.

Once he reached the table, he hesitantly sat at the head of the table, not too close to the prisoners, but far enough from Toothless to allow the dragon to keep the men in check.

_"You're getting treated alright?"_ Adrian asked, folding his hands. The men watched warily as Amber clambered down from his shoulder to lay on the table. Adrian rubbed her side, making her hum and causing the men to relax a little.

_"Well enough,"_ The lead man said as the others nodded, _"The cripple is kind, though he makes it clear why."_

"_Oh?"_

"_He says it is because we are behaving,"_ The man smiled, "_We know it is because he has a kind heart."_

"_He does."_ Adrian admitted, smiling as well.

_" I am Meren_," The man introduced himself, _"Sarn, Cal, Pera."_ Meren said, pointing to each man, each nodding in greeting.

"_I am Adrian."_

_ "Are you the one they called the Scorpion's child?"_

_ "The what?" _Adrian asked, stifling his discomfort as his heart rate shot through the roof.

_"The Atlantiski that caused that filth all that trouble a few years back. We had heard he'd died. But you fit his description better than any tale."_

_ "I have no idea what you're talking about-"_

_ "Hair like coal, eyes like the steel of a blade,"_ Meren shook his head, _"Your story is too well known. The Atlantiski princeling-"_

_ "Now that _is_ a fabrication," _Adrian protested, then winced; he'd blown it, _"Fine, whatever. I'm that brat the drove Aulder up a wall."_

_ "It's a pleasure,"_ The one called Sarn said, reaching a hand across the table to clasp it with Adrian's, _"I'd all but lost hope."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Boy, you were the spark of resistance that gave the rest of us hope."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "You never stopped fighting, no matter how much they did to discipline you," _Pera interjected, his accent thick enough that it took Adrian a moment to understand him, _"It gave us enough courage to keep trying to find a way to fight back, thought I admit we can't be quite as effective as your kind."_

_ "My kind?"_

_ "Your message went through," _Meren said, _"Your people have fought back. They try to deceive and lie to warn others or tamper with communications."_

_ "It- it did?" _Adrian asked, his hand tightening until Amber growled at him for squeezing her tail. He let go immediately and murmured an apology to the little dragon.

_"It did."_

_ "But the unfortunate side is that not all of them have lasted as you have," _Pera's eyes were downcast, _"Many have died…."_

_ "But- but they fought? They resisted?"_

_ "Many of them."_

_ "Mother guide them…." _Adrian murmured, his eyes closing. The men around him did the same, showing respect.

"_But to find you alive…. It is almost unbelievable."_

_ "I'm sorry to interrupt," _Adrian swallowed and continued, _"Aulder doesn't take defeat well. He will come to Berk, won't he?"_

The men shifted uncomfortably. It was Cal that finally spoke.

_"He will come."_

_ "I'm sure his tactics have changed over the years, what will he do?"_

_ "He will soon know you have wings for your fighters, he will find a way."_

_ "Has he taken islands since I vanished?"_

_ "Yes." _Cal said, his voice dark and quietly furious.

_ "What will he do? Please, help us."_

_ "He has a ship separate and gather a foothold on the other side. They prepare for the group to return and assist them. That's why those extra warriors did not join the fight. They were testing the waters."_

_ "The other side of an island?"_ Adrian asked slowly, a steady horror dawning on him.

_"Yes. They slowly push their way in until they have the best place they can take."_

_ "H-how?"_

_ "Silently killing their way to that point. Slowly eliminating any who could tell of their arrival."_

_ "They start on the- the opposite side?"_

_ "I've said it three times, boy. Yes, the other side!"_

"Freya….," Adrian breathed, adrenaline pumping through his veins and his heart rate rising, "No, Freya. Oh Mother's mercy, no…."

The dragons and men in the Great Hall stared as Adrian bolted from the building at a full sprint, trying to race the steadily setting sun.

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Well, here's the next installment kiddos, enjoy. At least, I hope. I'm a bit off my game because I have finals next week, then had the horrible discovery yesterday that a friend of mine of five years had died at the end of the summer and I never knew until now. I admit, she lived in Malaysia, but it's still a really hard blow. If any of you guys are from Malaysia, can you do me a big favor and tell me (via PM please) what the Malay customs towards death are? The two of us had spent a year or two plotting the day one of us would visit the other, then this happens. So, it's now on my bucket list to find her to pay my last respects, even though I'm not quite sure where to start. It mainly hurts that I had no clue until three and half months after she died and I was stupid enough to not check up on her. The last time we had talked was two weeks before she was gone, so I guess you can imagine how much that smarts. To any of you who are Muslim, I ask you for a small favor and say a little prayer for her because I know none myself and wish I did.

Right, no more sadness.

Read, enjoy, review. Story reviews on the review page, and comments on my friend to the PM box please.

I hope all of you are doing well.


	12. Chapter 12

Freya trotted back to the cave, three trout secured in her woven drawstring bag that was slung over her shoulder. Fishing hadn't been bad, but she had still been sitting at the pool for longer than she would have liked. Now it was getting cold and she still had a fire to start.

Rounding a tree, Freya almost got knocked off her feet by a sudden frigid gale. Grumbling, she regained her balance and trudged on, cursing herself for not bringing her cloak. Hel's throne, it had been pleasant until now.

When the cave was in sight, Freya picked up her pace and made for the windbreak of the large entrance. She was about twenty feet away when it started to rain, making her break into a sprint and say nasty things about the weather.

Once inside, she gave the weather one last choice phrase, then tugged the rope nearby, making a sheet of oiled sheepskin with rocks tied to the bottom fall across the entrance to block out most of the wind. Despite that, it was still cold, therefore time to start a fire. Freya laid her fishing gear down and went back to her things to find her flint. Once located, she drew her knife and scraped it across the stone. When a pathetic spark jumped from it, she grumbled loudly, and began to grind on the stone with more vigor. After about five minutes of swearing and snarling, Freya halted when she felt warmth leaking into her hands. Looking up, she saw a small blaze had begun. Dropping her flint, she began to coax the fire higher and higher until it could be left unsupervised.

Freya returned to her fish and found sticks to spear the fish with and propped them up around the fire to cook. Settling herself against a wall where she could monitor them effectively, Freya dragged her bag over and fished through it. After she'd fished out the loaf of bread she'd nicked from her parents house, Freya cut a slice off and nibbled at it, thinking back on her day.

For spending the day doing what she hadn't done by herself for three years, she had done well. She'd managed to establish her supplies well, and she started a fire in less than an hour. She also hadn't drawn too much attention to herself, ensuring that she needn't worry about any of the predators on Berk paying her a visit.

As soon as the fish had been cooked to a preservable state, Freya again rummaged in her bag and brought out a long, clean cloth to wrap them in. After she did that, she placed the wrapped food next to the stone bowl. After a moment, Freya removed the heavy stone from the moss and sipped from the bowl of water underneath.

After she finished her meal, Freya banked the fire as best she could, then curled up under a blanket and rested her head on her bag, finally done for the night.

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Adrian tore into the forge and started going through all the weapons he could find, testing their blades and their weight in his hand. Once he secured a sturdy pair of axes and a light but durable sword, he spun towards the wall that Gobber had loaded with shields to turn right into the smith himself.

"Lad, what are yeh doin'?" Gobber asked, raising one bushy eyebrow. Adrian froze for a moment, then all the words came tumbling out at once, leaving them in no sensible order whatsoever. Finally, Gobber clapped a hand over Adrian's mouth and sighed.

"Lad, one thing at a time."

"There's no time!" Adrian insisted, shoving the smith's hand away, "Freya's in trouble!"

"What'd she do?" Gobber asked, "Stub her toe?"

"No! The attackers aren't gone! She's on the wrong side of the island to be safe!"

"Wait, what do yeh mean lad?"

"Gobber, we're wasting time!"

"Lad, slow down, or yeh won't be able to get help."

"The people who attacked us, they send a ship around back. The prisoners told me. Freya's on that side of the island!"

"She went camping this soon after the attack?" Gobber asked incredulously, "Little featherbrain!"

"Gobber!" Adrian yelled.

"Wha'?" Gobber noticed Adrian almost turning red with frustration, "Righ'. Lad, you get a head start, I'll round up a group to go after yeh."

Adrian started for the door, only to come to a jerking halt as Gobber grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Lad, make sure to take a bow with you. You don't know how many there may be and it's best to start from a distance."

"Right." Adrian nodded slowly, then trotted out the door to find the aforementioned weapon.

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Several minutes later, Adrian was treading softly along the beaten track Freya had been following that morning, sticking to the shadows. How far in the enemy had made it, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to take any chances. It took half a day to get across the island, but he had to cut that time down. After every half mile, he paused, listening for sounds of company. At one point, he heard the whooshing sound of a dragon overhead. It circled him once as he looked to the sky. A Night Fury; Hiccup must have joined the search party. It would be nice to have backup.

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Freya jolted awake, her hand quickly but silently finding her sword. Something was out there, beyond the cave. Quickly, she tossed her bowl of water onto the fire, wincing at the loud hiss as it was extinguished. Whatever was outside paused, making her heart race. After a few minutes, it moved on. But Freya wasn't going to take any chances. She tucked her knife in its sheath and slung her sword over her shoulder. After carefully coiling her whip into belt, Freya let her eyes grow used to the dark, then silently venturing beyond the cave's entrance.

Whatever had passed by had been very big. Its tracks had imprinted deeply into the moist ground and defied the rain's attempts to wash them away. That was more than enough to have Freya on edge. She didn't know of anything on Berk that could have tracks of this size.

Unless they had a visitor.

She slowly made her way down from her cave, her breath bated and every muscle in her body willing her to run. To abandon this place and not look back. But if she was being hunted, that would only get her killed. Freya forced herself to take a deep breath, and follow those tracks. Even if she couldn't figure out how to rid the island of this creature, she could at least warn the village before it caused actual damage.

Carefully avoiding branches that could snap beneath her feet, of leaves that would rustle as she passed, Freya continued her journey through the rain. The sound of the water falling all around her hindered her ability to see, or hear, much of what was around her.

It must have been an hour before the rain began to soften, but not cease. She didn't care; at least she could see better. Until she realized that her situation had worsened. More tracks had joined her mystery creature, and in greater numbers. They all seemed to be the same creatures, but they now made her wish she hadn't left the cave. She couldn't handle numbers like this.

About to abandon her hunt, Freya froze. In the distance there was a flickering of light, possibly a fire.

"Who would be out this far?" Freya whispered to herself. Not many ventured as far as she did on the island, and that fact put her on guard. She would have to determine who it was before she revealed herself.

With feather-light footsteps, she made her way towards the light, concealing herself behind trees or large rocks whenever she could. Soon, she heard voices. And not in a language she understood. Her temper flared. Didn't they learn their lesson the other morning? Well, they were about to learn it again. Permanently.

Instead of a cautious scout, Freya became a hunter, slowly advancing on her prey. No one would threaten her home again. She would make sure of that.

Concealing herself behind a large rock, Freya slowly drew her sword, doing her best to mask the obvious rasp of metal leaving its sheath. The voices hesitated, as did she. Once they continued again, full of humor and a certain casual tone, she got onto her stomach and inched forward, always keeping something between her and the fire that could reveal her. Once she was a stone's throw from them, Freya inched onto a large rock overseeing her new friends. Once she was as close as she dared be, she began to count.

The finally tally was not a good one, she would have to go back to the village. A band of fifty was bad news if it caught them off guard, and she could never take care of that herself. Slowly moving back, she let herself slide off the rock, only to come to a halt as she hit a tree that had grown behind the rock. A tree that hadn't been there when she had first climbed it. She had just enough time to let out a yell as her head was smashed into the rock before her.

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Adrian paused, hearing something almost unforgotten to the wind. A sound of defiance, muffled by the distance it had taken to travel. A sound of defiance he knew too well. Freya had been found.

He picked up his pace to a hurried jog, trying not to make any obvious sounds as he loaded an arrow into his bow and made his way towards his doomed friend.

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Only a few minutes must have passed, but it had been long enough to get her into trouble. Freya woke to find her wrists and ankles bound, and her weapons confiscated. And an added bonus of having five men looking down on her with the obvious expression of trying to figure out what to do. When they noticed she was conscious, one of them crouched down and spoke to her. As was almost obvious, she couldn't understand. Her expression of bewilderment and barely concealed fear seemed to have just about sealed her fate. The man who seemed to have the most power made a disgusted noise and waved his hand dismissively and left. Obviously she was no longer of any use to him. The other four men looked at each other and shrugged. One of them pulled out a business-like dagger and held it under her chin. His message was clear, even if his words weren't. She was to cooperate, or face death. Freya's answer came in a kick that knocked the dagger from his hand and caught him under the chin. While he tried to recover, Freya managed to cut the rope binding her ankles before she was reclaimed. Two of the men present each grabbed a shoulder and shoved her down, while the third confiscated her freshly claimed weapon. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Her victim was _not_ amused. He grabbed the blade and held it against her neck, a small stream of blood starting to emerge from the cut he'd just made. Then he started to threaten her. Unfortunately for him, they all brushed off her because Freya had no clue what he was saying. She decided to let her response be a glare that oozed malice and violence. That changed his tune pretty fast. He decided her time was up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sorry guys, I have been absolutely awful on keeping up with posting. Since the last chapter, I had a couple more horrible things happen and school started, where I might have bit off more than I can chew. I apologize for the pathetic length and I will try hard to update again soon.

As always, read, enjoy, review.

-Birdi


	13. Chapter 13

Adrian came to a halt as he heard heavy rustling in the brush, and backed behind a tree. Something very big was out there, _very _big.

It crashed among the trees, careless of its surroundings. If Adrian had had back up with him, on the ground, he might have dared peek around the tree.

It eventually moved on, but in the direction Adrian had least wanted it to go. He didn't want to end up following it to have it waiting for him around a corner, especially now that he was desperate and in a hurry. He'd have to go the long way; cross-country. Listening carefully, he confirmed which direction the creature had gone, then made a run across the path and into the thick trees on the other side.

"Please don't let me be too late," He prayed, "Don't let me be too late. I never got to tell her everything."

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

Freya swallowed, feeling the dagger bite a little deeper into her neck. Blood began to flow a little heavier, tickling her as it ran down her neck, across her collarbone and soaked into her shirt. She was terrified. A Viking was never meant to die bound and helpless, like an animal for slaughter. She would spend an eternity under the rule of Hel, the cold Queen of those that died without the battle fury in their blood. It couldn't end like this.

They were talking. One of her restrainers seemed to be arguing, possibly against killing her from what his body language said. A grain of hope, but unlikely to save her.

'_Gods, if only Dad were here. And Adrian. And Mom. I swear I'll keep my room clean from now on if I get out of this alive.'_ She thought, turning desperate eyes to the sky.

Then there was a flicker, a small shadow that obscured the stars for just a moment.

"Toothless….." She whispered, unheard by he arguing captors. Any moment now they would hear the telltale shriek of a descending Night Fury. Any moment.

Her rain of fire didn't come. What was Hiccup waiting for?

Then she heard the snapping of twigs, muffled by the noise from the camp around her, and it was close. Big, heavy and close. Her friend from the forest was back, whatever it was. And since she didn't know, it didn't bode well for _any_ of them.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxx

Astrid took point, taking to the forest as silently as a moth on the wing. Her footsteps made no sound, so she hissed irritably as her companions followed with less concern.

They had flown as close as they dared to the far side of the island, but it was almost guaranteed that Adrian had a head start. Hopefully he could find Freya, bag her and run. If she wasn't already neck deep in trouble.

Astrid's only child was alone, in the dark wet night, dangerously close to-

She froze.

While she had been lost in her thoughts, she had led their small group into the middle of a cluster of shallow holes.

"Stop, stop!" She hissed, waving an arm.

"What is it?" One of the members of her squad asked.

"Breeding ground," Astrid said breathlessly, feeling all the blood drain out of her face, "We have to go, now."

"Damn."

That was about the only thing you could say. Breeding grounds were one of the few places dragons had drawn the lines at, provided they had preferred solitude to the village, and the Viking's respected that and gave them wide berth. Unless they accidentally walked right into one unknowingly.

Astrid inspected the eggs, feeling her body getting as tight as a bowstring.

"Astrid-"

"Shh! Monstrous Nightmares…" Astrid slowly backed away from the holes, trying not to let herself go numb. When Monstrous Nightmares were feeling territorial, they were _territorial_.

"What do we do?"

"Back out, very slowly," She whispered, "Do not make _any_ sudden movements….."

Suddenly, there was a stirring sound and the group flinched. In one of the shallow holes, a Monstrous Nightmare was waking up, uncurling itself from around its eggs. It spotted Astrid and snarled.

On reflex, Astrid dropped her weapons and held out her hands slowly. The Nightmare's eyes narrowed, but its patience was holding.

"We're sorry," Astrid said, "We didn't mean to disturb your nesting place. It was an accident."

A low growl. Swallowing hard, Astrid held her hands out further, putting them in range of the Nightmare's fearsome jaws. It slowly lowered its head enough to sniff delicately, then, cautiously, with more interest.

"See? I work with dragons…. I know about them. I didn't mean to enter here. We swear to leave if you let us." She winced as she said it. She shouldn't have admitted that there were more of them. But this dragon seemed to be on a higher level of understanding than most. With one last warning growl, it jerked its head towards her, blatantly telling her to scat before it changed its mind.

"It won't happen again." Astrid promised, collecting her weapons and gesturing for her group to follow.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

Finally, a conclusion seemed to have been reached, but it was definitely not in Freya's favor. Bruising was starting to develop along the jaw of the man she'd kicked, and he looked like he'd won. But there was still the rustling in the brush. It hadn't stopped. It was like the creature was pacing, trying to make up its mind. Or-

She paled.

Or there were more of them.

Her captor seemed to think it was him that had made her go ghost white. He had no idea what was in store for all of them.

The rain slowly began to break up and moonlight gently lit the forest. She could now see them. Dark shapes of all sorts of sizes lined up in a loose circle around the large clearing, watching, waiting.

Then, just as she felt the knife at her throat again, there was a low snarl. And this sound could not be ignored, feral and angry. And familiar.

It was answered by more growls around the clearing and Freya threw herself forward, throwing her hands over her head and crying out as the dagger sliced a shallow cut around the side of her neck. But a little cut was better than what came shooting over her head.

An indigo flash and what was left of her captors collapsed in a pile of ash. The screams of dying men light up the night as the flames came from all sides, indigo and blue, to angry reds and oranges. It was over much too fast.

When she felt a presence standing over her, she cracked an eye and slowly turned until she could see one dark, trunk-like leg beside her. She followed it up until she found a shoulder, then the neck. She shoved hard off her arms and rolled over, hoping to find Toothless standing over her.

But there was no telling red on the tale, and this Night Fury made Toothless look like a runt. Glancing around hurriedly, she began to see more of them, emerging from the trees. Some were low to the ground, snarling, others slowly circled closer, curious.

None of them were Toothless.

Her breathing got shallow and rapid, and her vision was trying to blur. Then the colossus before her lowered his head until they were eye-to-eye and inhaled deeply, smelling the blood on her neck and shirt. Its exhale blew all the loose hair away from her face. It was hot and dry, and didn't help her already worsening condition. It inhaled again, this time concentrated on her smell, rather than the blood.

She couldn't breathe. Those crimson eyes were boring into hers, shaking every prayer for safety away from her mind.

The dragon pulled its head back and its eyes narrowed. It growled.

Freya screamed.

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

This time, the sound came tearing out of the darkness like a demon, burning itself into Adrian's ears. It wasn't Freya's defiant yells, or fearless battle cries; it was pure, unabridged terror. Forget stealth.

Adrian began to sprint, no longer caring what came across his path. To keep from hindering his speed, he slung the bow over his shoulder and put everything he had into it.

He was close, very close. But with that sound, he was all but convinced he was too late to help her. But he was damned if he wasn't going to try.

Rounding a tree, he almost stopped at the sight of the wall of flames that towered overhead. He hadn't noticed the heat, the smell of burning…. flesh.

Adrian burst through the wall of fire, determined. The he _did_ come to a halt.

In the flickering orange light was a group of Night Furies, ranging in size and intensity of darkness. And at the center was the largest dragon he'd ever seen, regardless of species.

His breath caught in his throat as its crimson eyes locked with his; he didn't dare to move. It inspected him, tried to piece him together.

"_Ce'st mena lara…._" Adrian exclaimed quietly. Might as well get one last prayer out before he died.

The dragon almost looked taken aback when the final syllable left his lips. It stared intently at him, studying his features with a new interest. It huffed out a deep breath and cocked its head. It looked like a questioning Toothless, only very big and much more accustomed to killing.

'_You owe me, boy….'_ A voice whispered, accompanied by a freezing gale, _'But I won't collect this time….'_

The wall of flames died almost instantly, throwing Adrian's world into darkness. Finally, his eyes accustomed to the moonlight and he could see the semi-circle of dragons was still there. The biggest one slowly looked down and moved one large leg.

Propped up against its other leg was Freya, unconscious and bleeding, but alive. Alive.

Adrian took a deep breath and took slow steps forward, inching towards her, never taking his eyes off of her immense guardian. It followed him with a level gaze, and moved its head so that he could stoop down to lightly pick her up. Just as slowly as he had approached, Adrian backed away. Once he was clear of those deadly claws, he stopped.

"Thank you," He whispered, "For her."

The dragon inspected him for a long while, then got to its feet. It turned and stalked back into the forest, its comrades following it into the darkness. Soon, there were only shadows.

Adrian let out a breath he'd forgot he'd been holding. He got a better grip on Freya and made sure to go the opposite way of his new "friends". He didn't want to test how long that truce would last.

XXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Astrid made sure that she was positive who was coming before she dropped from her tree and revealed herself.

"Adrian, you found her." She went to the boy, almost instantly fussing over the girl in his arms.

"Astrid, you will not _believe_ what I am about to tell you," Adrian said quietly, "But first things first, we need to get moving. The woods aren't safe."

"What about the-"

"Trust me, they're gone," Adrian said, "There's overwhelming proof of that."

"Shouldn't we-?"

"No," Adrian cut her off, steel grey eyes hard, "No, we shouldn't. Please, I'll explain, but we have to get out of the woods."

"Alright…." Astrid let out a shrill whistle and three dragons dropped from above. She raised an eyebrow when Adrian flinched.

It was her dragon, one of her squad's and Toothless.

"Thank Odin, you've got her…. I'm so sorry I'm late," Hiccup said, "We had some dangerous air traffic."

"What type?" Adrian asked quickly.

"Lots. They caused too much interference with the light. I couldn't identify them. There was a lot."

"Hiccup, there's Night Furies on the island," Adrian said, "Lots of them. I'll explain later, but we need to get Freya home."

"If you insist…. But Night Furies? Are you sure?"

"Hiccup!"

"Okay, okay," The man stared at Adrian cautiously, as if he were dangerous, "I can take her-"

"I'll do it….. Adrian said quietly, "It's better if you can make sure the way home is clear."

"I can do that. See you at the village." And they were gone.

Astrid looked at Adrian worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be better when we're out of here, but not really," He gave her a weak smile, "I just had the life scared out of me."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you as we go…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alright, hopefully this makes up for the serious gap in updates. I admit, this might have been written in a hurry, but the section was in my head and I wanted to get it typed it out before I forgot the details.

Brief update: I am filling out University applications and keep up with my homework like crazy right now, so there are going to be serious spikes in the time between update. Thanks for hanging with my guys, I'll try my best.

Anywho, as always: read, enjoy and review!


	14. Chapter 14

"_Dear, we really need to do something about this problem of yours," The golden-haired woman crossed Freya's room, inspecting the pictures tacked on the walls, "It's destroying your potential."_

"_My potential?" Freya was sitting on the edge of her bed, arms tucked around her knees._

"_Yes, your potential. You could outshine your mother… Ah, well. I guess we'll need to figure something out."_

"_What in Hel's throne are you talking about?"_

"_Please," The woman grimaced, "Let's leave my cousin out of this. She's enough of a problem as it is. She already has a claim where she shouldn't."_

"_What?"_

"_Your friend, why don't you talk to him?" The woman's amber eyes narrowed, "He's a survivor, but he really shouldn't have-"_

"_Adrian?" Freya tried to scramble off the bed, but found herself frozen in place, "What's going on? Who are you?"_

"_Your Mother, dear."_

"_Yeah right-"_

"_Not you're blood mother, silly girl. Your Mother. Your matron."_

"_My what?"_

"_Oh please," Those amber eyes rolled, "If you're a woman warrior, it's me you pray to."_

"_You can't be a goddess," Freya growled, "They don't just pay social calls to mortals."_

"_Not to mundane mortals, child. Your family raised you to be anything but ordinary."_

"_They raised me to be a Viking-"_

"_Child, don't get snippy with me. They prepared you more than other children your age. You have your father's sharp mind, your mother's warrior spirit. Don't tell me you're normal."_

"_I want to be normal!" Freya yelled, "I don't want to have to find alternatives to prove myself! I don't want to be singled out! I didn't ask to be who I am, I just am!"_

"_Zip it," The goddess jerked her hand and Freya's voice vanished, "Don't talk back to a goddess."_

_Unable to give her the best foul language she could muster, Freya fixed the goddess with a burning glare._

"_Ah, look at those eyes," The goddess went to her and took the girls face in her hands, "A true warrior. A fierce soul. And yet," She released her, "Yet, you feel fear. Don't try to say it, I know. Everyone feels fear, but yours is a handicap. It alters you, makes you of less use to me."_

_Freya cocked her head, unable to ask._

"_There's a horror coming into these waters," The goddess explained, "One who makes deals with death gods and ocean guardians. Wherever he has made a pact, he cannot die, nor can his ships be sunk. He comes to make a deal with my cousin, which is unacceptable. Your charge is to rid me of him. Yet, you are crippled by this ridiculous fear-"_

"_Shut up!" Freya found her voice, breaking the shocked goddess' grasp, "What would you know about it! You're a divine being, you wouldn't understand!"_

"_Well," The woman's sculpted lips pursed, "You have the audacity to stand up to a goddess, but can't walk from one end of the village to the other without feeling your chest get tight and your head get dizzy? Isn't that odd…."_

"_You try to figure it out, O' Queen of the Valkries! I'm sick of it!"_

"_Mm," Those amber eyes inspected her slowly, head to toe, "Maybe I have pushed too much. Child, hear this: I will not test you, but no matter what, that abomination is coming to Berk. You are what stands between him and your family and friends. I suggest you learn to fight this fear, or you won't be able to make use of all that your home has to offer."_

"_And what is that supposed to mean?"_

"_Berk has more than blades and arrows for you, learn to use them."_

XXXXXXXxxxxxxx

Freya's head hurt, and the sides of her face felt like she had been branded where the woman in her dream had touched her. Despite waking up, she still couldn't move. Not that it would have mattered, she felt too weak to move. All her muscles felt strained and sore. They were very much against motion.

But her feet were cold, and she was a fan of that. Slowly, she pieced together what she could. She was barefoot, a cold stone floor beneath her. She was wrapped up in something warm, too solid to be a blanket, but not painfully rigid. There was an obstruction from letting her move her head to the right, soft, but also solid. There was the crackling sound of a fire nearby, and the murmur of voices.

She tried to open her eyes, and they eventually did. Barely.

Looking through her eyelashes, she saw shadows moving nearby, talking and pacing. She recognized the creaking sound of her father's replacement foot, the harsh tone of her mother when she was stressed. Letting her head fall forward a little, she saw a pair of hands locked in front of her, tanned and slightly scarred. She knew those hands, they'd done this to her often enough. She also recognized the feel of the head laying on her shoulder after years of dealing with him fall asleep in front of the fire.

Adrian.

She hadn't realized that she rasped his name until he jolted awake and there was a hurrying sound from across the room.

"Freya…." Astrid came sliding to her knees in front of her daughter, taking her as Adrian unwrapped his arms.

"What-?" Freya could barely speak. Her throat hurt so much, as if she had torn it apart screaming. Adrian attempted to guess what she had been asking.

"You fainted, I think. They didn't kill you. I found you and they left."

"How?"

"I don't know, Cricket, I don't know."

"Freya, how are you feeling?"

"Hurt…. My neck-"

"Sweetheart, they cut very close to your throat," Hiccup said quietly, "It might have scratched something. The Elder says it'll be sore, but it'll heal."

"My face?"

"What about it?"

"It burns. Like a brand…."

"Like your skin is melting off?" Adrian asked, voice severely bitter.

"Different…. Hot, like a fire."

"There's nothing wrong," Astrid's cool hands brushed along her daughter's face, "Completely normal."

"Everything's going grey…." Freya whispered, her vision swinging again.

"Oh gods, she's burning!"

"I feel sick…." Freya managed to get out. Next thing she knew, someone had scooped her up and was running to get her outside. The cold air felt amazing against her blazing skin, and her rebelling stomach backed down long enough for that person to get her on her feet. She didn't stay up for long. Soon she was retching on the grass, warm hands keeping her hair out of her face and supporting the back of her neck.

"Let it out, Freya. Whatever it is, let it out." Her mother said, half holding her daughter. After a few minutes, the convulsing went down and Freya could lean back against her mother's shoulder.

"Gods, Freya, what _happened_ out there?"

"Obviously more than I thought….," Freya mumbled, "What happened? Where's Adrian?"

Astrid looked up, scanning the doorway.

"He's coming."

"I need him."

"What for-"

"Please, Mom. Just…. Can you get him here?"

"I'm here," Adrian knelt down beside her, "What's up, Cricket?"

"Mom, please…."

"I'm going…." Astrid carefully handed Freya over to Adrian before getting to her feet. As soon as she was out of earshot, Freya turned dull green eyes on Adrian.

"What did you do?"

"I got your feather-brained b-"

"No…. Something else. Your….," She struggled, as if trying to grasp a vanishing dream, "Your promise….. Something personal. Something- What did-?"

Adrian recoiled as if she'd slapped him.

"What are you talking about?"

"The…. I don't know," She was fighting to keep a hold on her thought, "She told me you….. She told me-"

"Who?" Adrian demanded, "Who told you what? Freya, stay with me!"

"She won't let me…. I can't….," Freya grabbed her bandaged throat as it suddenly tried to keep her from saying anything, "Gods…."

Finally, she stopped trying to tell him. The pressure inside her throat lessened and she felt a warm wind at her back.

'_Now, that's better. We can't have you telling anybody something where they'd start thinking you were crazy.'_

All Freya could do was call that voice every name under the sun and moon. She dug her fingers deep into the grass, tearing it as she closed her fist. She was truly helpless now, her voice lost, her body wracked with all sorts of pains and her head filled with a fog that wouldn't let her think.

"Freya, _who_ told you something?" Adrian asked, his voice gentler this time, but he was shaking as he reached out to touch her shoulder. So, he _was_ hiding something. Again.

"Why?" Freya rasped.

"Why _what_?"

"Don't lie to me anymore! Tell me what happened."

"You're not the only one forbidden to speak," Adrian said stiffly, "Astrid, I think she's okay now."

"Don't you run from me!" Freya whispered, "Damn you!"

"I'm not as strong as you, Freya. Whatever happened to you, I can only guess. But I don't know what you want to hear." He got to his feet and walked away.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

She was almost sure she hated him now. Almost. Until now, it had been the two of them being scared and temperamental. But this was pushing it.

"Stop," Freya told herself, curled up in a corner of her room, avoiding the sunlight coming in through her window, "Think."

He had been scared. His eyes had been wide, his hands shaking and his frame had gone stiff. He had been scared. She couldn't blame him for being human.

"Now, think again."

Hel's throne, she'd been terrified during that dream, but she'd buried it with anger. What would Adrian have buried it with? Would he have been able to? What happened to him? What had the goddess been hinting at that was connected with him? She'd talked about his soul, gods knew why.

"Heh," She laughed very briefly, "Literally."

So, Adrian was trapped too. But by someone, or something, different. There was too much happening all at once; first the attack, Adrian's story, the men in the forest, the dragons…. the goddess. Too fast.

"Stop," Freya took a deep breath, "Think."

What had caused this sudden whirlwind of events? What had triggered it? The goddess had been impatient, but she wouldn't have tried to upset the balance of a little nowhere village in the middle of the ocean because she was feeling snotty would she?

"Hm, would she?" Freya shook her head violently, giving herself a headache, "Girl, don't try to understand gods. Just no."

But she wanted to. Oh, she wanted to. She wanted to know why she was being silenced, why it had happened…. Why her?

"Stop," Freya took another deep breath, "Think…."

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

"You aren't thinking about jumping in, are you?"

Adrian whipped around, surprised by the voice nearby. Ariela was watching him, one sandy eyebrow raised.

"Jump? No," Adrian sighed, looking at the end of the dock, "I still have too much to do."

"You didn't sleep last night either, did you?"

"Sorry?"

"Well," Ariela fingered the still-healing cut across her face, "It was kind of obvious you didn't sleep the night before last. The racket was impressive, by the way."

"Oh, you heard that?" Adrian scrubbed his face with his hands, "I was hoping everyone was asleep."

"Mm, not me," She smiled sheepishly, "Feather wanted to go for a moonlit fly."

"Just before dawn?"

"You should see the sunrise from that high up. It's amazing."

"I'll pass," Adrian said, "Not my thing."

"Suit yourself."

"How is Feather?"

"Bouncy," Ariela shrugged, "But she's always been like that."

"'Bouncy' isn't quite the word I'd use for a Nightmare."

"Well, that's the word I use," She came to stand next to him, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing you need to know about," He said curtly, then grimaced, "Sorry."

"It's fine," She tossed her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder, "You just seem…."

"Seem what?"

"Well, I can't quite use the term 'lonely' without an accusation from Freya that I'm hitting on you."

"Are you?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow. It _was_ something Freya would get steamed over.

"Nah, I'm not into the tragic hero types."

"Oh, ha ha," He grumbled, making Ariela laugh, "So why are you here?"

"Well, while Freya's putting herself back together, I wanted to ask a couple questions."

"Am I going to regret answering them?"

Ariela chewed on her lower lip and leaned on a hip, arms crossed.

"Well, maybe. But it's not like I'm planning on spreading things around."

"Ariela," Adrian finally looked her in the eye, "We don't normally talk. Why are you really here? Be straight with me."

"We don't normally talk because Freya is territorial. I just told you why I'm here. That's as straight as it gets."

"Fine," He walked to the edge of the dock and sat, hanging his legs off the edge, "What do you want to ask?"

"You and Freya have been at each other's throats for the past few days, I'm trying to figure out how that happened. I've grown up with Freya, so I know she has a tripwire temper. But you almost never raise your voice. What changed?"

"That's some pretty privileged information." Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Didn't say you had to answer it," Ariela took the few steps necessary to stand next to him again, "Just thought I'd ask."

"She's scared of me."

"Mm…."

"I've spent so much time with her, come to know her so well. I'd always try to protect her if something scared her, or was bothering her. How can I protect her from myself?"

"_That's_ what you're moping about?"

"Hey-"

"Calm down, I was just trying to see if you had gone completely numb."

Adrian stared at her blankly, unable to understand.

"….. What?"

"Don't worry about it. Back to your problem," She crouched down and poked his shoulder, "I have a possible solution."

"Oh?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, trying to hide his curiosity.

"Let me help."

"And you'd help, how?"

"I could talk to her. She seems like she might need to hear it from someone else. And _both _of you seem like you could use someone to talk to."

"I don't."

"If it wasn't Freya that was upset with you, who would you want to talk to?"

"… Her."

"Uh-huh. And if she wanted someone to talk to, who would _she_ go to?"

"I don't know, her dad?"

Ariela smacked the back of his head hard enough to get his attention.

"You, dummy. You're the first person she's ever gotten actually close to. Think about it."

"And you come in… Where?"

"If you two have so much trouble talking to each other face to face, talk through me. That way, what you want to say is across, but you don't need to get the immediate temper that could follow."

"I wouldn't want Freya to take her temper out on you. It's….."

"Passionate, I know. I've grown up with her," She smiled, "But I'm probably one of the only people she's never gotten upset with."

"Because everyone feels bad if you get snapped at. You're too nice."

"That's why I want to help," Ariela fingered the cut running down her face, "I don't like seeing you two fight. And Freya was my first friend growing up, even if she doesn't remember it."

"Oh?"

"Before I started dragon training and she began working with her mom."

"That _is_ a long time ago."

"Mmhmm. Which, by the way, means I have prior claims."

"W-what?" Adrian blinked, completely confused.

"I'm in line for getting yelled at before you are because she's known me longer. You're cutting."

"I am so confused right now….."

"Yes, but the look on your face is an improvement," Ariela squeezed his shoulder, "It hurts to see you look so devastated."

"Devastated?"

"Yeah," She looked away, "First, your past, then you're best friend-"

"Tell me you're not trying to help because you feel sorry for me." Adrian's voice dropped to a growl.

"Why not? You've endured enough torment in your life to make up for all of Berk," She fought back, "Don't you deserve a bit of a break? Geez, boys are dumb."

"I am no-"

"Or you enjoy being the tragic hero."

Adrian's mouth snapped shut before he could say something cutting in reply. He stared at the water in front of him and didn't say a word.

"Adrian, I'm sorry, that was too far," Ariela's voice dropped to a whisper, "I just hate seeing you two fight."

She stood to leave, her shoulders tight. She really hadn't meant to go there…

"Why?"

"What?" Ariela looked down, a little surprised. When he kept his eyes locked on the water, she sighed.

"Why?"

"Because you were the first person to ever make her laugh."

"You mean, since-"

"No, even before then," Ariela interrupted, "_Ever_. Adrian, you mean so much to her, she just can't admit it. She needed someone like her so badly, and now she's losing you because she's confused and afraid."

His eyes finally lifted and Ariela's heart twisted. He had never looked so confused in the entire time that she had known him.

"Ever is a long time….." Adrian said in a hollow voice.

"Now do you see why she's so scared? You're so full of surprises she wasn't ready for all at once and she's scrambling to find familiar ground again."

"I wasn't ready to tell her about those surprises," Adrian admitted, "I didn't want her to know what I was."

"Freyja's grace, Adrian," Ariela took his face in her hands, "The only thing you are is a confused teenage boy who's had a hard life until now. So, what we're going to do is mellow this out before we have to deal with your old friends again so you and Freya can be back to protecting one another."

One of Adrian's eyebrows twitched and his gray eyes got a little less stormy.

"You know, this is a little awkward," Adrian told her, his mouth twisting into a dry smile, "You sure you're not just setting up to kiss me while Freya isn't around? Because she'd flip."

"There's the Adrian we know," Ariela groaned, letting go of his face, "Not sure I wanted the snarky side back first."

* * *

><p>Okay, two things:<p>

One, super big apology. Literally wrote this chapter twelve times and I still don't like it much. Hence the months and months of tardiness. SUPER sorry!

Two, Mass Effect 3 came out….. So, those of you that are Bioware fans, you'll understand. Those of you that aren't… Don't worry about it and just take my sincere apology.

Despite my slight dislike for it, I hope you guys find this chapter alright, because bridge chapters are HARD to write. Read, enjoy and review!

Birdi

(Again, sorry!)


	15. Chapter 15

"Freya?"

The girl in question turned, her eyebrows diving as Ariela came to a stop in front of her. After a moment she sighed and crossed her arms.

"Yes?" Freya really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. _Really_ didn't want to talk to anyone right now. But it was Ariela, so she might as well sit tight.

"Adrian says to take your time and that he doesn't expect you to forgive him," Ariela cocked her head, chasing down the information in her head, "He also said there are some things he can't explain. I'm not quite sure what he meant with that….. Oh, and he'd prefer it if you didn't slit his throat in his sleep, he has a lot of work to do now."

Freya stared at her, blank mind trying to gather up whatever bucket of information had been thrown at it.

It wasn't working.

"_What?"_ Freya asked, fixing Ariela with a bewildered stare.

"Please don't make me repeat it," Ariela begged, "Condensing it the first time was hard enough."

"Why are you playing the messenger in the first place?" Freya was fighting very hard to keep her voice calm, "Is he too much of a coward to face me himself?"

"So you don't kill him," Ariela shot her a look that could freeze blood, "If you two are going to fight, barely make up, then fight again, I won't have it."

"And _you're_ the authority on our friendship now?"

"Or current lack there of, yes. Unless you want me to put Toothless and Gobber on the task?"

Freya grimaced. At least Ariela wouldn't bruise feelings as much…

"And what's this 'work' he had to do?"

"Oh!" Ariela's face lit up, "He's going to have a talk with our war prisoners and figure out how to build defenses against any more possible attempts from our friends."

"Such as?" Freya asked mildly, her thoughts drifting back to the goddess' words.

"Not sure, says he still needs to peel their minds for more information."

"And he trusts them now, does he?"

Ariela sighed and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair.

"_Yes_, he does. _They_ are the reason he went looking for you," She explained patiently, as if Freya was missing the point, "And whatever fight you got into this time, he'd like for you to wait until he feels satisfied that he's done what he could."

"Uh-huh…" Freya was still immensely confused. Was there a reason Adrian couldn't have told her this himself?

Oh wait. She was the reason. And from the look on Ariela's face, it had been her idea to stay between them until they had sufficiently calmed down. As much as it ground on her to say it, it _was_ a good idea. That way, she could put out the fire and he could construct a solid explanation. Well….. If he even bothered with that anymore. He'd been hiding enough stuff from her that all the things he used to have to explain himself for seemed like nothing. She was beginning to wonder if he deserved any more chances. She might be able to spare half of one, but right now, she had trouble trusting him.

"He'd better have a very good list of explanations ready when this is patched up enough." She said finally, hoping to give Adrian something to worry about. When a small smile blossomed on Ariela's lips and she visibly bit back a laugh, she felt she had lost her edge.

"He figured you'd say something like that," Her eyes were soft and friendly; the Ariela she knew, "He says he's already writing you the book. He hinted it might be a series."

"Oh." There wasn't much else she could say. As always, Adrian had neatly pinned down the details, and knew exactly what type of demands she would have made. She wasn't sure whether to be intimidated or impressed.

"I'll let you process that and tell him the message was delivered," Ariela turned, then paused, "Freya, I really hope you two can trust each other again at some point. You truly improved with him around."

"Ariela, please don't," Freya combed her fingers through her hair, wincing when it yanked some loose from her braid, "I don't want to think about it…"

The smaller girl squeezed her shoulder.

"Someday, I promise." And she made her way down to the lower village. Freya watched her go, chewing on her lower lip. Now she had more to think about. She'd gotten a sizeable apology out of Adrian for the string of lies….. Well, that wasn't fair. They weren't lies, just omissions. And she still didn't know how she felt about that. She'd also come to the conclusion that he would have told her someday, probably when they were older and she was 'Auntie Freya' to his kids, but he would have told her. Wouldn't he?

She sighed for the millionth time that morning. She wasn't about to admit it, but she missed him something awful. Especially his humor. After all that had happened, she really needed to laugh again, or Hel's throne, _smile_. And now she couldn't even sneak off for a day or two of privacy, probably couldn't even just go fetch her gear.

"Oh, Hel's throne, the gear…" She turned on her heel and marched off to find her father.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dad?"

Hiccup looked up from his latest project, seeing Freya hovering in the door of his workshop. He leaned away from the table, curious.

"What's up?"

"I, uh, well after last night's little adventure, I realized that I left my camping gear at the cave. And I know Mom would butcher me if I tried to go alone, so I was wondering if you would come with me."

"And Toothless?" He asked, amused as the dragon in question lifted his head and his eyes narrowed. Freya blushed.

"Of course Toothless." She said quickly, smiling as the dragon made a contented purring sound.

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt," He got to his feet, stretching a little, "I could use some sun. Toothless, think you can handle double riders today?"

The dragon made an indignant sound, as if insulted that he'd asked.

"Just making sure," Hiccup shrugged, "We'll be bringing back camping gear."

Toothless, miffed at the implication he couldn't handle it, stuck his nose in the air and marched out of the workshop, making Freya and Hiccup shake their heads. Freya followed the dragon out and Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. After what Adrian had told him, he was relieved that Freya hadn't been so rattled by her recent experience that Toothless was a worry to her. It was a little blessing, but one none the less.

"Dad? Are you coming or not?" Freya's voice carried back into the shop, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"You really don't have any patience, do you?" He asked, making his own way out the door.

"I get it from Mom."

"I _know_."

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

Adrian made his way in the Great Hall, Stoic at his back.

"You really think they'll help us?" Stoic rumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"They're the reason I knew Freya was in danger last night," Adrian explained, "If I can talk to them some more, I think I can help prepare Berk for what's to come."

"And you're sure they'll come?"

"Twice, Aulder's forces have failed, he won't take a third insult," Adrian said sadly, "And Berk has something he wants. I want to give us a chance to keep him out."

"Lad," Stoic rested one giant hand on his shoulder and Adrian turned, "Why are you tearing yourself up over this."

"Berk is my _home_," Adrian stressed, "You've cared for me as long as I've been here. It's time for me to earn my keep."

Stoic watched the fire blaze in Adrian's eyes, then smiled. He squeezed Adrian's shoulder.

"You're working on being a great Viking," He told the boy, "Now let's see what we can do to solidify that."

His heart squeezed at the cascade of emotion that flashed through Adrian's eyes. He didn't realize those words would have meant that much.

"Alright, we've got work to do," Stoic said gruffly, spinning the boy around and propelling him forward, "So, let's get to it."

He pretended not to notice Adrian's amused smile. He knew he was no good at dealing with kids, so he'd just keep his mouth shut.

Their guests were sitting near the fireplace, talking among themselves. At the sight of Stoic they fell silent, but allowed themselves weak smiles when they saw Adrian was with him. Adrian sat among them, careful to keep from making them uncomfortable. He jumped when he heard a trilling sound and Amber crawled onto his lap. She let out another trill, demanding attention.

"_She's a bossy one,"_ Meren said, _"She was quite insistent after your hurried departure."_

"_The little one, she is safe?"_ Cal asked, dark eyes mournful.

"_Yes, thank you. And they were taken care of."_

"_I hope you caused them much pain."_

"_I wouldn't know,"_ Adrian admitted, _"I was beaten to them. And those that did the deed….. Well, I wasn't about to get picky. Or argue it for that matter."_

"_I doubt you are here just for a social call, though we appreciate someone seeing whether or not we're alive."_

"_I don't mean to startle you, but you're always being watched. The rafters are quite roomy."_

The men looked up and went slightly pale. Above their heads were at least a couple hundred dragons, while smaller in size, greater in number.

"_You can see why we're not too concerned that you'll try something?"_

"_Indeed,"_ Meren said slowly, _"So, young master, what can we do for you?"_

"_I want to protect Berk."_

"_Protect this tiny island? It would be easier to just leave it."_

"_This is home. We have a right and a want."_

"_That is true. What do you need?"_

"_Tell me what we need to be prepared for."_

"_You'll need paper, lad,"_ Cal said, _"The list is quite long."_

"Stoic?" Adrian leaned back as the man squatted down beside him, "They're willing to help, but it sounds like we have a lot we need to do. Can we get some paper?" He hesitated, "Actually, make that a lot of paper."

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once they had gathered her things from the cave, Hiccup and Freya had kept a polite silence towards Toothless, who had grudgingly agreed to stay on foot due to the sheer weight of the stuff. They could tell it made him grumpy.

So instead, Freya inquired about Hiccup's latest creations, and they spent a good deal of the walk throwing ideas back and forth, getting more and more in depth with their plans. If nothing else, it effectively passed the time.

They were about halfway to the village when Toothless came to a jolting halt and bared his teeth in a silent snarl.

After a quick glance around, Freya was sure nothing was in their immediate area, so she began to hunt for what could have been bothering Toothless while her father had a short talk with the dragon.

"Freya, the ground."

She looked down and stifled her gasp. More tracks, fresh too. The Night Furies were still on Berk.

"Dad, what are we going to do?" She asked, "I mean, it's not like there's one or two of them-"

"Adrian told me," He reassured her, "I'll to look into this, I guess."

"Dad, please don't try it alone." Freya said quietly. She wasn't sure how he would react to that immense one…..

"Who would you recommend?" Hiccup asked, "There aren't many like me on Berk."

"Ariela," She said quickly, "Dragons like her. If there's anyone I would trust more with you, it would be her."

"Are you sure?"

No, she wasn't. Ariela was currently the only way to talk to Adrian until they felt comfortable enough to make unconditional peace. But Ariela's talent made her someone she'd want doing this.

"Yes."

He must have noticed her hesitation, but he didn't ask.

"Back to the village, then?"

"Yeah," She sighed, "And Dad?"

"Freya?" He stopped, having started back along the path.

"I see you limping. Don't make me embarrass you."

Toothless glowered until Hiccup resigned to some fussing from his daughter.

XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxx

Adrian sucked on the end of his charcoal stick, contemplating the docks from the watchtower. They would need reinforcement, if nothing else, and something to make them harder to take. Perhaps he could persuade some dragons to keep guard….. No, he didn't want to put the dragons at risk until it couldn't be avoided. He'd think of something else.

"Stoic tells me you're up to something."

"Uh-huh….." Adrian said absentmindedly as Astrid joined him, looking down on the docks as well.

"And you didn't think to consider discussing any of this with the Master of the Guard?" She sounded… miffed.

"I wasn't going to discuss anything until I thought it was a reasonable idea," He explained, "I wouldn't want you schooling me on the basics of this, that or the next thing. I wanted them to be logical and thought-out before I put anything down."

"Well, that's different then."

"Wouldn't want to offend you, Astrid."

"Of course you wouldn't," Astrid squeezed her hand into a fist to keep from ruffling his hair; it wasn't the time, "What are you thinking?"

"The docks," He pulled the charcoal stick out of his mouth and pointed, "I'm trying to think of how to make them less vulnerable. Seeing as they have the ships and all."

"An excellent point. But there are some things that might need prioritizing over those," Astrid shrugged, "We can put a few riders on it for now and work on the things that give us an advantage."

"Like what?" Adrian followed her as she headed back down the ramp. Astrid smiled and jerked her head to have him follow.

"Well, seeing as our guests just wandered up the ramps, I thought they could use some work…" She pointed over the edge of the cliff to the ramps below. The fact that he hadn't seen, or heard, those working below attested to how distracted he had been.

The boards that made up the path were being replaced, and walls being built on the edges. To prevent structural weakness, they were being fastened to the cliff face, tripling their holding strength. Slots were being cut to allow archers space to shoot, and an angled overhang was put in place to shelter those on the walkways.

"You know, Astrid," Adrian crossed his arms, impressed, "I'm a little hurt that I didn't think of this first."

"You were busy. You know, fussing over my daughter," Astrid started counting things off on her fingers, "Fighting with my daughter, saving the ungrateful child, chatting up our foreign guests, pounding your head against a wall in the forge, staring at the docks for three hours….. You've been a little distracted."

Adrian frowned, still feeling a little stung.

"Am I going to be able to advise on anything?"

"If you think otherwise, you're in for a surprise," Astrid warned him, "As of right now, you're glued to me."

"What?"

"I saw that mass of notes you put together after talking to our guests. You're helping whether you like it or not."

"Am I still glued to you if nature calls?"

"Don't make me hit you….." Astrid grumbled, looking away to stare at the progress below.

"Just kidding."

"I know," She took a deep breath, "Alright, what else have you got?"

"Well, I'm thinking we're going to need to start with actual walls…." He trailed off, looking around the exposed edges of the small island.

"That's a lot of walls…" Astrid exhaled, "Odin help us….."

"Yeah, I was thinking something along those lines too…."

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Okay everybody, three million and a half apologies. I know I've been gone for a super long time, but crazy has been happening. I got accepted to the University of Montana, been with a competitive sports team, been getting my tail worked off and having all creative spirit drained out of me to write some agrivating papers.

Thankfully, I got a review about a month back and realized just how badly I'd left you guys hanging. I had to get a hold of the movie again so that I could remember everything, but I think I managed to get out a new chapter for you guys.

It's not amazing, and it's a bit disconnected because I was halfway through it when I had to cut off. I think it's safe to say that I'd lost my train of thought….

Anyways, again, I am so sorry. I'll try to get a better chapter up next time, but until then, please accept this insufficient offering.

Happy holidays!

-Birdi


	16. Chapter 16

Ariela knotted her sandy hair away from her face, trying to keep her hands from shaking. She wasn't ready for this, yet here she was, agreeing to Hiccup's request.

He was going to find the Night Furies and he wanted her help.

She could understand his reasons, but it didn't mean she was happy about it. The only Night Fury she'd ever come across was Toothless, and he already had a friendly bias towards the village. It was doubtful that these outsiders were the same.

Trying to breath calmly, she looked at her reflection in a nearby basin of water and tried not to wince.

She was sickly pale and she could see fear etching every curve of her face.

"Gods, why?" She asked the ghostly girl in the water, "Why me?"

'_You know why, idiot. You're the best with dragons in the whole of Berk. Why else?'_

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could do this. She and Hiccup would find the Night Furies, do what they needed to do and walk out the other side in one piece.

Right?

"Ariela?" She heard Hiccup call from outside her house, followed by Toothless' worried croon. She poked her head out the window, forcing a smile.

"I'll be right there." She assured him, not waiting for his response as she fled back to the confines of her room.

Final call. She checked her flight gear for the hundredth time, making sure every strap was free of fraying or stress, and sighed. It was all intact. Good.

She grabbed her flying clothes from off of her bed and stumbled into the padded pants, lacing her boots tightly over the cuffs. The light shirt was next, and the final touch, a heavier shirt made of sheep skin and lined with wool was draped over the top. She belted the waist to keep it from flapping around and blew out a breath of air.

She should probably find Feather.

Grabbing the flight gear, the girl trotted out the door of her house, wondering if she'd ever see it again.

Lucky for her, Feather was socializing with Toothless when she joined the small group, and was more patient than usual while Ariela saddled her. As if the dragon knew what was about to happen and knew better than to misbehave.

"I'm sorry for asking you to do this," Hiccup's voice reached her ears, "But I needed someone who wouldn't panic."

"I understand, don't worry," Ariela knew she was still pale, but smiled anyways, "It's just not what I'm used to."

"Well, at least I'm not the only one that feels that way….." Hiccup gave her a half-hearted smile.

"It doesn't feel right."

"I know. I feel it too," The man swallowed, "But we need to do this. We need to see if we're going to be in trouble."

Ariela's eyes followed Astrid as the woman trooped by, shouting orders, Adrian hot on her heels with a handful of papers.

"You mean, more than we already are?" She asked, "Because your wife is yelling something about building a wall around the village."

"Okay, there is that."

"Well, shall we hunt some Night Furies?" Ariela jerked her head skyward, tightening the last strap on the Nightmare's harness.

"The sooner we find them, the sooner we get home," Hiccup shrugged, ducking under his bowstring to let it hang off of his shoulder, "So, yes."

Ariela grabbed the harness across Feather's shoulders and leapt lightly into the saddle. It felt strange after she had repaired the stress that had been grinding away at the leather, but she settled quickly enough. When she turned her head, Hiccup was securely strapped to Toothless' back, and the Night Fury snorted impatiently, as if he felt the same way they did.

Seconds later, they were shooting skyward and she could feel her worries melting away. The wind in her face was soothing and the light feeling in her stomach made her smile; it was good to be back where she felt safe.

Even with the sun beginning to sink into the water to the West and darkness starting to fall, she felt calm.

Ariela followed Toothless' path as the smaller dragon curved his flight trail and began to follow the shoreline of the small island, scanning for signs of anything out of place.

When they began to advance on Raven Point, Hiccup signaled that they should drop lower, and they glided just over the treetops.

The only reason they hadn't started earlier in the day was because, in their very minor experience, Night Furies held true to their names and prowled the skies only after the sun had gone down.

The downside to that was that it made them even harder to find. But if they didn't find them, things could escalate quickly, and Berk was having enough problems as it was.

An eruption of violet light almost made them drop from the sky, dodging the ring that branched out from the sudden fireball as it reached its peak.

"I think we found them." Ariela muttered and nodded when Hiccup waved her towards the ground. Their dragons went into a fast dive, almost crushing the ground they landed on.

"So, how are we going to-"

Hiccup's low hiss made her go silent immediately and she looked up, her heart leaping into her throat.

Patiently sitting about twenty feet in front of them was a Night Fury, a little smaller than Toothless, pale green eyes inspecting them with a cautious curiosity.

"Oh gods." She could feel blood draining out of her face already, and they hadn't even found the bulk of the group. The two humans carefully dismounted and slid to the ground, eyes locked on the dragon that continued to wait patiently in front of them.

Ariela swallowed hard and strapped some iron to her spine; she hated confrontation, but it was starting to get there. She placed a hand on Feather's forehead, a silent command to stay put and she slowly walked forward, hands outstretched.

Hiccup almost grabbed the girl on her way by to keep her from getting into range of the Night Fury's claws, but came to a jolting halt as Toothless seized the back of his vest in his mouth. Hiccup turned to glare, then hesitated at his draconian friend, whose pupils kept fluctuating between hair-thin and wide rectangles. The dragon's eyes were insisting, pleading. He wanted Hiccup safely where he could guard him.

"Alright, buddy, alright. But I don't want her getting hurt either." He said in a low voice, stepping back to place a hand on the large creature's shoulder, and watching Ariela take fate into her hands.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

Freya sat curled up in the far corner of the Great Hall, staring down their foreign guests and trying to figure them out. She didn't want to talk to them, let alone find out much about them, so she'd be content with watching.

As she picked off another stretch of crust from the bread she was eating, she observed their habits much like she would watch prey when she was hunting, shadowed green eyes flicking from person to person. Tears flooded to her eyes when a sharp piece jabbed the roof of her mouth and she fought cursing out loud. She _hated_ it when crust did that….

A light trilling sound next to her almost sent her through the roof, biting down a surprised scream. Her head turned slowly, eyes sinking towards the ground.

Amber, Adrian's sweetheart stalker, stared up at her with mournful eyes, wanting to ask for attention but acutely wary of the girl. Freya took a very deep breath, her heart rate accelerating. After another three breaths, Freya swallowed and smiled weakly, patting her thigh. Amber let out a delighted trill and slowly climbed into Freya's lap, wiggling a little until she was comfortable. Once settled, the little dragon began to purr, warm sides pressing against Freya's stomach and thighs.

A little startled, Freya carefully placed a hand behind Amber's head, fingers lightly stroking the little creature's curved neck.

"The little one likes you."

This time it took every ounce of self-control she could find to keep from disturbing the small dragon in her lap, who would have inevitably dug claws into her legs. Looking up, the girl bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping.

"I am Cal," The man bowed a little, "Wish we met under better events."

"You and me both." Freya's voice was soft, but still managed a hostile undertone; one that wasn't lost on Cal.

"I sorry for what has happened. Want to take it back-"

"So, prove it," She glared into the man's dark eyes, "Help us."

"Am," Cal shrugged, "Your _Atlantiski _asks many questions. Same by warrior angel."

"Warrior angel?" Freya frowned.

"Sky eyes," Cal tapped next to one of his own eyes, "Gold hair of angel."

"Oh," Now she felt silly, not recognizing her own mother, "Her name is Astrid."

"Astrid." Cal nodded, "Strong name."

"Strong head too….." Freya muttered under her breath.

"Why alone, young one?"

"What?"

"Alone in corner," Cal gestured the area, "Not like company?"

"I like company just fine," Freya explained, "I just don't like surprises."

"Understand. Is why you care for the _Atlantiski_, no?"

"E-excuse me?" Freya spluttered, giving him a bug-eyed stare.

"The _Atlantiski_. Your," He struggled to find the words he was looking for while Freya held her breath, fighting down her temper; he'd better not say the 'L' word, "Friend?"

"Yes, my friend. Or was…." She stared at her hands as she traced a finger along Amber's throat to the little dragon's chest. Amber's contented buzz was the only sound around them, Cal giving Freya a polite silence until she would resurface.

"Yeah, was…." She said to herself, convinced. Or, something close to convinced.

"'Was'?" Cal crossed his arms, "Was fight?"

"You ask an awful lot of personal questions," Freya snarled, then winced as Amber let out a slightly less-than-pleased sound, "Why would you want to know any of this?"

"I may sit?" Cal asked, gesturing the ground in front of her. Reluctantly, Freya nodded stiffly, biting back a snarl.

"Had daughter once," The man admitted through his thick accent, voice hiding some sorrow, "Was much like you. Sulk a lot when frustrated."

He wasn't the slightest bit intimidated by her glare, only laughing.

"Was very good at that too," He sighed, "Miss her very much."

Freya felt a sudden guilt and exhaled, chewing her lower lip.

"What happened?"

"Wish I knew," Cal shrugged, "Lords take for themselves to get what is wanted from others."

"They took your daughter from you?" Freya asked, eyes going wide, "Monsters….."

"Took _Atlantiski'_s sister too," The man said quietly, "_Atlantiski_ beautiful people. I fear much for what could have happened to girls."

"They sound like terrible people." Freya stared at her knees, trying to ignore the slight shimmer in the man's eyes; she didn't handle overpowering emotions well.

"Their armies devour lands and expand empire. Crush all in their path. Terrible, yes."

The silence that followed left Freya trying not to shift uncomfortably. Cal stared at his ankles, lost in some memory that Freya could only half imagine. She knew what had happened to Adrian, but still had no idea what life would have been like for those used as soldiers in this dark empire's army.

"Cal!" A familiar echoed through the hall before dropping into another language. The man's head raised and he turned as Adrian came sprinting towards him, eyes fixed on a sheet of paper in his hand. Looking up, he came screeching to a halt and swallowed as his eyes traveled across Freya's face. When she bit the inside of her cheek and turned her attention to the dragon in her lap that had just let out a drowsy croak, he breathed.

"Um, Cal?" Adrian jerked his head away from their current location, "Can I speak with you?"

"Always, Scorpion's child."

Adrian grimaced, but led the man away, speaking to him as they went. It was Freya's turn to breath easy. But at the same time, she was curious. Adrian seemed to be on his toes, busier than she'd ever seen him. And he'd had moments where he could put bees to shame. With a sigh, she looked down at the tawny dragon in her lap.

"Alright you, I have things to do, so I need you to scat."

Sounding reluctant, Amber stretched her wings and slowly clambered off of the girl's lap. With a sulky croak, the small dragon stalked away, leaving Freya with her head cocked to the side, confused.

Finally, she gave up and got to her feet with a groan, feeling her knees pop. With that, she made her way out of the Great Hall, humming a tune off-key to keep herself distracted from the voices within.

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Alright y'all, hopefully that one's better than the last one. It felt better while I was writing it, so I hope it is. It's been a pleasant distraction from Finals Week around here, aside from my first experience with snow in December, which has been pretty epic. Cold as all get out, but epic nonetheless.

Righto.

Read, enjoy and review. I hope all of you are doing well and I'll try to stay on top of the chapters this time. I'm already started on the next one (And I'm sure you can tell I'm very proud of myself because of it).


	17. Chapter 17

Ariela let out a sigh of relief as the Night Fury trilled and rubbed her hands with its nose, pupils slowly transitioning to wide rectangles. She hadn't expected it to work on a dragon that hadn't interacted with the other massive reptiles around Berk, but she wasn't going to complain.

Hiccup looked on as the girl crooned to the dragon, scratching behind an ear, slowly working her way towards the sweet spot that most dragons seemed to have. He tried not to grin when she finally did find it.

"Want to ask our friend some questions?" He asked, and Ariela nodded, tapping the dragon on the head.

"Hey, darling, were you waiting for us?"

With a contented sigh, the large reptile made a motion that resembled a nod. Both dragon riders were surprised at that one.

"Why?"

At Ariela's second question, the dragon seemed to remember that it had a job to do and scrambled to its feet, attempting to look serious, but the girl had already wormed her way into its good graces.

With a snort, the Night Fury turned and started to stalk away. When they stayed in place, the dragon looked over its shoulder and waited, staring expectantly.

"I think it wants us to follow." Hiccup mumbled and the group began forward. Toothless stuck defensively to Hiccup's side, while Feather gave Ariela a little space.

Satisfied, the Night Fury nodded and trotted forward again, staying at a steady enough pace that they could scramble along behind it.

It didn't take long for the scenery to change, and not in a natural way. Scorched patches of ground began to become more and more frequent, some with embers still glowing crimson beneath the ash.

"Well this looks familiar….." Hiccup mumbled and Toothless let out an offended snort, throwing him a glare before turning away to stick his nose in the air. A moment later, the dragon's foot found a dip in the ground and he pitched forward with a startled squawk. Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked forward again, hiding a smile to let his dragon regain some semblance of dignity.

"Hammer of Thor….." Ariela breathed as they walked into a clearing, eyes wide.

There were Night Furies everywhere, some lounging in small fire pits across the ground, others draped over the heavier branches in the trees. And in the middle of it all was the biggest Night Fury- almost the biggest _dragon_- they'd ever seen, crimson eyes locked on them as they approached.

"Oh gods….." Hiccup swallowed, wondering how they were going to survive this.

The big dragon snorted as their guide trotted to its side and sat, all traces of its previous nature melting away until it was almost a statue. Ariela and Hiccup glanced at each other and Hiccup nodded. Squaring his shoulders, he took a step forward, Toothless pressing tight against his thigh until he was just barely out of range of the bigger Night Fury's claws. He didn't bother trying to approach, as it seemed the other dragon was more than aware of what was going on, and didn't look to be much in the mood to make friends.

Hiccup cleared his throat, one hand resting on Toothless' shoulder.

"Hello," For the first time, he felt ridiculous talking to a dragon, "My name is Hiccup and I would like to…. welcome you to Berk."

The dragon didn't even blink and discomfort rooted itself even deeper in the man.

"However, your presence here has been," He strapped iron to his spine, "Unsettling. We'd like to know why you're here. I know our languages don't really cooperate, but I have to try."

The Night Fury's eyes flicked between Hiccup and Ariela, then drifted to Toothless. After what seemed like a lifetime of contemplation, it snorted again and inclined its head just a little.

"Well, that's a start…," Hiccup mumbled, "So….. Why _are_ you here?"

With a deep croon that probably sounded a thousand times more hostile than was intended, the larger dragon turned to look over one shoulder, as if looking for something. A few moments later, there was a series of squawks and some rustling.

"Oh!" Ariela's voice went gooey the second the babies appeared and she dropped to her knees, eyes shining.

The adult Night Furies watched carefully as the little ones carefully advanced on the two humans, cautious but insatiably curious.

Hiccup carefully got to one knee, trying not to let it show that his artificial foot was bothering him, and held out a hand for the boldest one to sniff. When it snapped at him with its baby teeth, he reacted the same way he would with any other baby dragon: a quick rap on the snout with a finger to discourage the action. It let out a startled squeal and the clearing tensed. Once they realized what had happened, the adults again relaxed; the largest one even seemed amused.

Looking to his left, Hiccup blinked as Ariela was swarmed with the little creatures, trying her hardest to keep each of them pleased as they inspected their new friend with enthusiasm. He returned his gaze to the big dragon, and shrugged, admitting confusion.

In response, the large creature nodded towards the little ones, then gazed around the clearing. Hiccup's eyes followed its path and he began to see what he hadn't noticed before. The adults were exhausted. Some looked as though they hadn't eaten well in months, others could barely lift their heads off the ground. And yet they all stared, a strange mixture of emotions in their eyes.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he began to put the pieces together. It was hard, dragons not always being the most expressive of creatures, but he had a few theories.

It wasn't hard to feel the desperation that swirled all around them, nor the pain. But he could have sworn he was seeing glimmers of hope that had fleeting moments in each of their eyes.

And there was fear. A great deal of it. Fear for the littler ones.

"Wait, let me get this straight," Hiccup got to his feet carefully, trying not to let his physical pain show, "Are you…. asking us to take your babies?"

There was a stiff, reluctant admittance in the Night Fury's next nod and Hiccup could feel blood draining out of his face. Dragon's didn't abandon their little ones lightly, and these dragons seemed no different. It was a matter of desperation at this rate.

"Why?" He asked, "What could possibly make you-"

He was cut short as the large dragon snarled, intolerant of the questions.

"Hey!" Ariela appeared in Hiccup's vision, little Night Fury's still clinging to her where they could as she stormed up to the immense Night Fury, "You quash that attitude, mister! You're the ones asking us for help, you shouldn't get so sassy!"

The dragon looked taken aback, then bared its teeth at her defensively.

"Oh no you don't!" The girl took more bold steps forward, easily into the dragon's lethal zone, "You will not bully us into this! You will mind your manners while in our home! Shame on you!"

Hiccup shook his head, amazed at what he was seeing. It would be impossible to describe back at the village, so he'd best start thinking on a better explanation for what had happened. And still Ariela continued to scold in the background.

"Honestly! How would you feel about it if our positions were switched? I'll bet you wouldn't like it either! A bunch of human kits getting shoved off on you because we couldn't take care of them for….. something similar to your reasons, I don't know! And for another-"

"Ariela, I think you made your point….." Hiccup muttered, trying not to look at the big dragon too directly to pretend he couldn't see how thoroughly cowed it had become. Maybe his daughter had been right, having him take Ariela with him.

"One could certainly hope." The girl growled, marching back to her dragon, Night Fury babies following her like ducklings.

"Hammer of Thor…..," Hiccup made his way towards the bigger dragon, halting just outside its lethal range and sank into a sitting position, "But we do still have things to discuss, since you seem capable of at least some such things."

He almost felt sorry for the colossus as it looked immensely relieved.

"We need to know you aren't going to upset our lives any further than you have already. We've had more surprises than we need for one generation, and I don't think we can handle many more."

His heart sank with the large dragon's head, crimson eyes unable to meet green.

"What else are you going to do?" Hiccup asked, wondering how hard he would have to work to protect his home at this rate. He didn't need this right now.

"Hiccup." Ariela's voice brought his attention back to the large dragon, bewilderment sinking in as it shook its head.

"Not you?"

Another shake.

"Then who?"

The large dragon looked confused, then frustrated, as if unsure how to explain.

"Okay, how about from where?"

_That_ seemed to be an easier task. The large creature turned its face South, eyes narrowed and a silent snarl starting to develop at the corners of its mouth.

"A threat?"

A single nod.

"To you?"

When their eyes met again, Hiccup felt like he could see centuries behind the crimson glaze, and the answer was so clear that the dragon might as well have said it in words.

'_A threat to us all.'_

A name bubbled to the surface, Adrian's ghost-white face burning in his mind.

"Aulder."

He jumped when a collective growl rose up from all sides of the clearing, shaking him to the marrow of his bones. He must have been right on target with that one.

"Hiccup, what's going on?" Ariela asked, a shaking hand pressed against the Nightmare beside her.

"You remember Adrian's slaver?" The girl nodded, "He's not 'maybe' coming to pay a visit. He's going to come."

Ariela used language he never would have expected out of the girl. When she saw his eyebrows shoot upwards, she blushed and turned her attention back to the baby Night Furies. A vexed snort brought his attention back to the immense adult.

It was trying to get something across, but it was obvious that a lack of interaction with humans was making it difficult.

Finally, it just growled to Toothless for a short time before the smaller dragon's ears dropped and he looked at Hiccup with concern in his own eyes.

Having spent so much time together, it wasn't that the two could read each other's minds, but Hiccup and Toothless had a deeper bond than most, making it easier for them to get points across. It wasn't just these foreign dragons that were rattled, but now his friend was too.

"What is it, buddy?"

Toothless backed up, then snarled. After a moment, his ears drooped and he cowered, as if confronted by an overwhelming force. He repeated the pattern a few times: ferocity, then flinching, playing two sides to one story.

"Which one is us?" Hiccup asked, watching carefully. His stomach dropped as Toothless cowered, a small whimper slipping from his throat. His attention whipped back to the larger dragon, his hands digging deep into the moss.

"Do we have a chance? Any at all?"

The colossus looked uncomfortable, shifting its wings and picking at the ground with one large claw.

"Anything?" Hiccup's voice was little more than a whisper as he thought about all he knew and loved, and the sudden danger they were all in.

Finally, the creature produced what he could only guess was a draconian shrug. It certainly wasn't a 'yes' or a 'no'.

That was good enough for him; uncertainty was always better than a flat-out 'no'.

Apparently Ariela was running along the same thought process as him.

"We need to get back to the village," She said quickly, "They need to know."

She froze when one of the smaller Night Furies crooned and jerked its head. Again, she was assaulted by the babies, her heart twisting.

"Guess we need to worry about these ones too," Hiccup mumbled, before turning again, "Alright, we'll take them. But you stick around, because we aren't done chatting yet."

The large dragon's eyes narrowed irritably, but it nodded.

"Alright, how about this," Hiccup rose to his feet, talking with Ariela, "Can you make a field sling?"

"Roughly, but it'll hold."

"Feather's a lot stronger than Toothless- Hush, you know it's true," The man glowered at his dragon's indignant growl, "So, try to make up one to hold these little guys."

"Hiccup, fifteen is a lot….."

"Is that how many there are?" He looked around an sighed, "I think I can take two if they don't wiggle too much…."

"I think I can managed thirteen….. I think….."

"We'll take care of your little ones," Hiccup told the dragons around the clearing, "And we'll be back later. But we need to warn our people."

There was more than enough understanding in the eyes of the dragons around the clearing.

Sure that he'd gotten his point across, Hiccup hopped onto Toothless' back and accepted the two little dragons that Ariela handed him.

"Fly fast," Her eyes were dark and weary, "We don't know how much time we have."

"I know. But you be fast too. I'm going to need you back here with me," He jerked his head towards the group around them, "A few of these ones look like they need some patching up."

The girl's eyes wandered from dragon to dragon, and Hiccup felt bad for mentioning it. Each exhausted creature was another twist of the dagger to her.

"I think I'm going to need to pick up some supplies," She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, "Think we can spare anything to eat?"

"I'm sure we can ask." Hiccup gave her a lopsided smile. He settled the baby Night Furies so he wouldn't drop them, then took to the air as the last drops of sunlight left the sky.

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Hopefully this chapter sits well with y'all, I got a little side-tracked again. Anyhow, have an excellent New Years!

Read, enjoy and review!


	18. Chapter 18

The loud whoosh of wings was warning enough for Freya and she turned her face skyward as two large shapes rushed by. She heard Hiccup's shout, followed by a sharp whistle. The corner of the girl's mouth tugged; she'd taught Ariela herself how to hit those upper notes. Freya figured she should leave the solitude of the guard tower to see what all the fuss was about.

With a small moan, she dragged herself to her feet and wandered down the ramps, watching as a crowd quickly gathered. Ariela's dragon descended slowly, gently placing a makeshift sling on the ground. Freya could feel her jaw drop at the sight of smaller dark heads poking over the edge.

"Those aren't…. No…." She picked up her pace, jogging up the slope to the village center in time to see Feather give one more lash of wings and land beside the tumble of young Night Furies. Nearby, her father had two more under his arms, talking with her grandfather.

"Ah, ye've got to be jokin'…." Gobber muttered as he passed Freya, "As if we don' have enough of the little monsters already."

She didn't have anything to add to that.

"Gobber!" Hiccup broke off his conversation with Stoic and squeezed through the crowd, "I need you to get these little ones settled."

"An' why, exactly, am I doin' this?" The smith asked, crossing his beefy arms.

"Because I have to go back-"

"Are yeh sayin' there are _more_ of these little buggers?"

"No, now let me talk," Hiccup retorted irritably, "Ariela and I need to go back. We aren't done."

"And wha' else could you possibly need to go back fer?"

Hiccup beckoned to Toothless and threw himself into the saddle.

"I don't know yet."

"Tha' doesn't really make me feel any better."

"Me neither," Hiccup grimaced, "But I still need to. Can you take care of what's going on here while I'm gone?"

"You- Argh, there's no poin' arguin' with you," Gobber threw his hands in the air and made his way to the little dragons, "Go do wha' needs doin'."

"Dad?"

Hiccup turned to look at his daughter as she approached, green eyes wide. She looked between him and the young Night Furies then opened her mouth.

"What am I looking at right here?"

"Fifteen baby Night Furies, bestowed upon us by our guests," Her father replied, "And right now, I'm not quite sure what to do about them."

"And you're leaving again?" The look in her eyes twisted his heart.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," He promised, "But it looks like these Night Furies have something we need to know."

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet."

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Adrian was slumped at Hiccup's old desk in the forge, head pillowed on his arm, doodling spirals on a piece of paper. He was out of ideas. He and Astrid had already discussed the wall, she'd already got things moving with the docks, weapons were being forged, buildings being reinforced and he'd sucked as much information out of Meren, Cal, Sarn and Pera as he could. There was only so much else that could be done. Vikings were already warriors to be reckoned with, especially ones that happened to have flocks of dragons on their side.

But they had a little time.

Pera had done the math as the first invasion had made their way towards Berk; it took roughly six months to reach the island from the capital, where the majority of Aulder's forces were. And it would take another six months to get back. Berk had one year, at the most. So Adrian had one year to find every way he could to protect his new home.

With a frustrated moan, he crossed his arms and buried his face in them. He knew who was going to lead the force when they returned, and it invoked every fear he had managed to bury deep inside once he had gained his freedom.

"Get a grip." He snarled at himself. If he continued to let the memories of a scared eleven-year-old boy influence his life now, he would freeze when the time came.

"I don't think spirals will do us much good, unless there's something you aren't telling me." Astrid's voice made him jump. Adrian spun himself on the stool and let out a heavy sigh.

The woman had her arms crossed and was giving him a bemused look through shadowed eyes.

"You look tired," He commented dryly, "Can't sleep?"

Astrid let out a huff of a laugh and shook her head.

"I'll sleep just fine," She told him, "I just haven't gotten there yet. It's been a long day."

"Has Hiccup gotten back yet?"

"Yes. And he's just as weary as you and I. I imagine we'll all sleep well tonight."

"Maybe….." Adrian picked up his stick of charcoal and began twirling it between his fingers. He hoped he'd sleep. The foreigners had reminded him of just how ruthless Aulder could be, and he really didn't want to apply that thought to his home. Maybe they would get lucky and Aulder would decide that whatever was on this small island wasn't worth the trouble of a six month voyage.

'_Don't lie to yourself, idiot,'_ Adrian thought to himself, _'He doesn't go out of his way in the first place if he doesn't think it's worth killing for.'_

"What's wrong?" Astrid's icy blue eyes were worried when he met them, her head tilted slightly to the side. He didn't want to tell her, he really didn't, but she needed to know.

"What's coming….." He shook his head, "It's a fighting force like nothing this island has ever seen. It's conquered nations, far bigger than this one, and I wish with everything in me that it wasn't coming here."

Astrid's eyes fell and she let out a heavy breath.

"I know, Adrian," She shook her head, "But at this point, we don't have a choice. Whatever happens…. happens. We can only hope we'll survive it. We don't have anywhere else to go."

"The Gate?"

"It can't sustain us. Even the dragons had to bring food from the outside."

"What about finding somewhere else?"

"By the time we found one, would we have the time to pick up a whole village and leave?"

"… No."

"Now you see. The only option we have left is to fight. Fight and hope we come out the other side."

Adrian looked at the woman before him more closely, as if seeing Astrid for the first time. She looked fierce, powerful, without a thought of turning back.

"You Vikings really are fearless, aren't you?" He asked, giving her a weak smile.

"No, we aren't," She smiled back, "But we know how to use it."

Adrian knew how that worked; he had scars to prove it.

"How are the Night Furies settling in?" He slid off of the stool and stretched, his fingertips brushing the ceiling.

"They've decided that they want to huddle with Toothless for now," She shrugged, "They're still getting used to everything and he's a good starting anchor. They've only been here for what….. four hours?"

"That's true… How is Freya handling it?"

"Wouldn't know. She's burrowed up in her room right now, doing who knows what."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The thump was almost as satisfying as the one before it as the small knife sank into the wood next to the other four, completing the circle. Freya got back to her feet and walked to the support beam across her room, mouth twisting at the slight cracking sound as she wiggled one of the blades out of the wood.

Downstairs, she could hear the small squawks of the little Night Furies and the exasperated sounds of Toothless as he put up with gods knows what. She could imagine a good many things that the older dragon could be being subjected to.

Poor Toothless.

She jumped when there was a rapping on her door.

"Freya?"

The girl let out a sigh of relief and pulled the rest of her knives from the wall. Tossing them onto her bed, she went to the door and cracked it, inspecting the hall for baby dragons, before opening it wider.

"Yes?"

Hiccup gave her a look up and down, then handed her a plate with food on it.

"Not doing any better?"

"I can't shake it," Freya frowned, "I guess there really is one exception."

"Are you going to be alright for now?"

"As long as my door isn't clawed in by scaly toddlers, I think I'll be fine."

"Well, we all know how good toddlers are at listening."

"Regardless of species."

"Exactly," Hiccup turned to go, then paused, "Freya….."

"Mmm?" The girl was picking at the roasted salmon on her plate, pulling off a small piece to eat.

"Tomorrow, the Night Fury group is leaving. We tried to feed them enough to get them to wherever they're going next, and they'll be doing what they can to rest up. But once they're gone, we are going to need to fully survey the forest….."

"Oh?" Freya raised an eyebrow and looked him in the eyes.

"I think we'll give it a week or two, then start taking a look around at everything again."

"And?" Freya picked off another piece of fish and placed it in her mouth.

"I figure that you could use some time away from the village," He gave her a firm look, "If we can work out some kind of deal…"

"Such as?" Not that any condition would have mattered; Hiccup could already see her interest growing.

"If you can take notes on anything you see that seems out of place, and refresh our map of the island, I'm thinking we could send you out there."

"What's the catch?" She leaned against her doorframe, her attention back to fully on her father.

"Every evening, I'd be picking you up to come home. No night escapades for now."

He'd expected an argument; he'd been ready for an argument, or at least some kind of protest. Instead, Freya's mouth twisted a little and she looked contemplative. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she thought, going over everything in her mind. Finally, she looked up and nodded more to herself than Hiccup.

"I can live with that," She said, returning to pulling loose fish, this time with a piece of bread, "It has valid reasoning to it."

Hiccup blinked, confused. He hadn't expected those words out of her mouth.

"Nothing to protest?" He asked slowly, wondering what had happened to his daughter in the past few hours.

"In light of recent events, I think it's a good idea all around," Freya shrugged, "These past few days have been… a little crazy. But since just about everything is getting turned upside down around here, we'd best get ourselves prepared, right?

"After the fun with the other side of the island, reminding ourselves of the whole forest again is wise, as well as updating our map, should we need to compensate for anything. I want out of the village to get some time to myself, and I know the woods pretty well, so I'm a good choice while everyone else prepares the main settlement. I would come back each night because enough exciting things have happened lately that it's best that everyone is together at the time of day when we're at our most vulnerable….. Am I wrong?"

Hiccup shook his head, a little bewildered. Freya nodded, then finally got to her bread and fish.

"So we've got it sorted out then?" She asked through a mouthful of food.

"Uh- Yes. I believe so. I think."

Freya looked her father up and down for a bit, then gave him a smile that concerned him. It was making an attempt at being a little too innocent.

"Okay, then let me know when you want to start preparing things." She gave him a small nod and leaned back enough to politely close the door in his face.

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"_You are starting to really test me….." The goddess told Freya as the girl let out a heavy sigh and let her head fall back against her headboard._

"_What do you want?" Freya asked, "Haven't you already made my life difficult with one visit? Let alone silencing me when you yourself told me to ask Adrian about something?"_

"_He is not my concern, child," The woman's amber eyes narrowed, "You are. He is doing what is needed of him and is not important in any other way."_

"Excuse me?_" Freya's tone sharpened. So this is what gods were like. Mortals were their playthings and they got annoyed when mortals did not do as they were told. And if the mortal was not one of their chosen ones, they were worth even less._

"_I gave you an opportunity to work with that fear, child," The goddess' glow intensified as she paced the length of Freya's room, "Yet you do nothing."_

"_Maybe because I don't want to do things your way," She snarled, surging to her feet, "Maybe you should figure out something all on your own. You're a god. Wave it away with your powers. You don't need me."_

"_WATCH YOUR TONE WITH ME, GIRL!" The goddess roared back, making a sweeping motion with her hand and send Freya flying back onto the bed. She tried to push herself up again to find her muscles weak as water._

"_The gods do not involve themselves in the everyday lives of mortals for a reason," Amber eyes bored into hers, "We do not upset the balance of fate lightly, for if we do, we destroy the world of man. How is a warrior to be welcomed into our halls after death if we've influenced his circumstances to get him there?"_

"_Aren't you influencing mine, then?" Freya asked, giving up on pushing against the goddess' power, "In your own words, you 'gave me an opportunity'."_

_She was surprised to see that it looked like she had given the woman a headache._

"_Child, there is a difference….. An opportunity is dictated by a choice. You can choose to take it or not take it. An influence is you finding yourself with no choice at all. If I were to pave your way with influences, you would be very different now, let alone what is coming for you down that road."_

"_And what, exactly, is coming for me?" Freya asked irritably, "Because where I'm at is bad enough, thank you."_

"_The only person that knows that is the All-Father. It is not my place to ask, nor is it yours. I can only provide opportunities to alter the final outcome of your fate."_

"_Well maybe you should stop."_

"_Excuse me?" Freya could feel the pressure holding her down intensify as the goddess' temper rose._

"_Stop giving me these 'opportunities'. I don't want them. Fate is its own path and shouldn't be altered."_

"_Child, what are you saying?"_

"_I'm saying 'back off'," Freya's eyes were blazing, "If I really am all that stands between my home and this threat you talked about, I'm going to face it as I am. Not who I am with the help of someone else, even if that person is a god."_

_At first, the goddess' face was twisted in rage and Freya could barely breathe from the weight on her chest. Then something flickered in the amber eyes of the woman standing over her and the pressure lessened. By the time Freya could sit up, the light around the woman had turned to a soft glow and she held her chin thoughtfully in one delicate hand._

"_Very well," She smiled, "Have it your way, child. We will let fate lead you down its own path with no splits in the road. Any choice you make will bear consequences that only you will take responsibility for."_

_Freya froze. Why did she feel as though she had just made a terrible mistake?_

_She shook her head. No, she needed to be confident in that decision. If she needed the crutch of a god, she was no Viking._

"_Swear it." Freya demanded, sliding off her bed and standing face to face with the goddess. Both of the arched eyebrows on her unearthly face rose and the smile on her lips grew just a little._

"_On my honor, as Queen of the Valkries, I, the goddess Freyja, swear to rescind any future attempts to alter your fate. Every choice is yours, and yours alone."_

_Freya looked at the offered hand before her with suspicion, but gingerly took it._

_What happened next happened so fast she couldn't react._

_The goddess' fingers slid past her hand and seized her forearm with a grip of iron. Before Freya could try to pull away, fire blazed around them and anywhere her skin touched the goddess' burned. The pain was so great that she found herself unable to scream and barely able to breathe. She fell to her knees, her arm still captured in that unyielding grasp. It took all of her willpower to look at the goddess once more._

_What she saw was completely different than what she'd seen before._

_The woman standing before her was clad in armor of cold metal, a shield strapped to her back and a sword at her belt. The long blonde hair that had previously flown free was braided tightly and the once unmarked face was painted with war paint. A dark iron crown was settled on the woman's head and a helmet was tucked under her free arm. There was no longer a doubt that this woman ruled over mortals as a warrior queen._

"_Consider my oath sworn, child," Freya could feel that voice rattling her bones, "I will see you on the other side. Be it on this island or in Asgard's towering halls. Fight as only one worthy to be a Viking would."_

_Freya felt her arm drop and the room went dark._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With a slight whimper, Freya opened her eyes, curled around her right arm. The sun was up and spilling through a crack in her window to come to rest at the foot of her bed and she could hear the sounds that were common on Berk at mid-morning. She whimpered again as her arm throbbed, sending a wave of pain all the way up to her shoulder. Slowly and very gingerly, Freya looked down and grimaced at what she saw.

The imprint of a hand had been burned into her skin like a brand, a physical reminder of her pact with the goddess. So it hadn't been just a dream. It was actually happening.

There was no way in Helheim she was going to explain this to her parents.

Freya struggled to get into a sitting position, trying not to think about how crazy her day was about to get. Even the sheets ground like gravel against her tender skin, making her eyes water. Yes, her day was going to be crazy, yes indeed.

Just as she finished edging out from under her covers, her arm began to tingle. She looked down as her feet touched the floor and her eyes widened. The burn was starting to glow.

It wasn't a bright glow; it was soft, like candle light, and flickered a little. Then the light began to slowly sink into her skin, the pain fading away.

Freya blinked, then blinked again. Somehow she knew, yet didn't know, that the oath had been engraved into her very bones. She rubbed her arm with her opposite hand and her head cocked as she felt muscle slide over…. something. Her hand slid up her arm, across her shoulders, down her ribcage, onto her knee…. Everywhere bone was close to the surface, she could feel abnormal ridges along them.

Literally. She literally had an oath carved into her bones.

"That was a little extreme," Freya said to the ceiling with narrowed eyes, "Writing yourself a note instead wouldn't have hurt you any, would it?"

When she received no reply, she made an indignant sound and stood, knowing that now she was on her own. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

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Ariela gave the small Night Fury one last scratch behind the ears, then stepped back as he joined his group at the edge of the cliff. This was the time the Night Furies had decided to go, departing with the setting sun after leaving their young to what they hoped would be a better future. Ariela hoped it would be too.

Berk had done their best to help the Night Furies gather a little more strength, setting aside a food supply the night before so that the dragons could eat. With food and a long day of uninterrupted rest in them, they looked as though they could actually survive.

Astrid stood beside Hiccup, eyes fixed on the cluster of dark creatures. It was so strange to see so many of them, all together in a group. With the way she had grown up, she was wondering if Night Furies had been solitary by nature, but now she was unsure. This group was like a family, with the colossus at its head.

Looking up from checking its companions, the immense dragon noticed her stare and returned it with cold red eyes. It felt like a warrior's gaze to her, and that thought made her smile.

Apparently it hadn't expected that. After cocking its head slightly, the creature's ears came up and its pupils widened just a little. The tightness in the air loosened and Astrid looked to her side and saw the small smiles on both the faces of Hiccup and Ariela.

Finally, the large dragon snorted and stretched its wings, their span stretching until it covered almost all of its companions. As if it was a signal, Night Furies began diving from the edge of the cliff and catching the wind. One by one, they ascended, making a trail to the clouds and the strong winds above them. Once the last dragon had taken to the air, the colossus looked over a dark shoulder and inclined its head, crimson eyes closed. Then they opened and the dragon surged forward, throwing itself off the cliff and climbing into the sky with each sweep of its wings.

Freya watched from her rooftop as the Night Furies departed, forming a black streak across the sunset. Somehow, it made her sad, watching them go. She wasn't sure why, but it did. And at the same time, it left a pit in her stomach. They hadn't wanted to stay in a place where dragons had become welcome, as if they knew the island would someday become a battleground and wanted no part of it.

Freya looked at her arm and her hand balled into a fist. She wouldn't either, if she'd had a choice. No matter how hopeless it seemed, it was her home and she would defend it to her dying breath.

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After a very long and very unintentional hiatus, I tried to get out a decent chapter for you guys. This is also the first recreational writing I've done in a long time and I have never felt so rusty in my life. Please be gentle, I'm trying to get back into it, I promise.

I'll be doing my darndest not to do this to you again, I'm so sorry, guys.

Anyways, please enjoy, let me know what you think and I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!


	19. Chapter 19

"Is it just me, or is Freya different these days?" Ariela asked Astrid as she scratched the woman's Nadder under the chin. Astrid looked up briefly, shaking strands of golden hair out of her face.

"How do you mean?"

"She's quieter….. Not that she was loud," Ariela frowned, "It's more like she's gone dormant."

"If that's the case, she's not the only one. Have you spoken to Adrian lately?" She jerked her head at the boy, who was pulling his chin up to the wooden beam he was hanging from in repetition, "Barely talks, and when he does, he's surly. Spends his time pouring over papers or finding something physical to do."

Ariela leaned around Astrid and glowered at Adrian with narrowed eyes. Yes, she _had_ tried to speak with him lately. And it was a pretty one-sided conversation. At least Freya hadn't gotten that bad.

"Think it's contagious?" She asked Astrid, who choked, then coughed to hide her laugh.

"It's gloomy enough around here," Astrid muttered, "I don't need something going around to make it worse."

Ariela sighed and gave Astrid's Nadder a few friendly pats on the head, then slid off the fence she'd been sitting on. Feather was with the Elder and Hiccup, being taken care of for a mild injury that she had acquired the day before, so the girl was on her own. Then she remembered what day it was and went in search of Freya.

It didn't take long to find her, seeing as she was already home.

"Freya?" Ariela poked her head in the door, looking around the empty main room. A sharp whistle rung off the walls, telling the girl that she was home. Taking that as an invitation, Ariela climbed the stairs and made her way to the last door. It was partially open already and Ariela could hear significant amounts of movement behind it.

"Knock, knock?" She pushed the door open to see Freya pacing, her chin in her hand, muttering darkly. At the sight of Ariela, her eyes lit up just a little.

"Perfect, you're here!"

"…. And?" Ariela blinked at her, confused.

"Maybe you can help me," Freya waved at a mess on her bed, "I know I'm forgetting something. Any ideas?"

Scanning the bed, Ariela shrugged. She was right, it was the day before Freya was going to start surveying the island. There was no way she was looking forward to it.

"I keep having to remind myself that it's a day-trip thing," Freya crossed her arms, "But what if Dad can't pick me up, or I get stuck out there? Should I pack for that? Just in case? I mean, you never know, right?"

Nope, not looking forward to it at all. She was _definitely_ dreading it with ever fiber of her being,

"I heard it was supposed to be somewhat sunny tomorrow…" Ariela innocently looked at the ceiling as Freya's eyes sparked mischievously.

"Is it?"

"That's what I heard. Don't quote me on it."

"I should definitely throw the climbing gear in then."

Yes indeed, Freya was shaking in her boots at the thought of being outdoors all day. In the sun. And the trees. Oh gee, darn.

"You seem… itchy." Ariela observed politely. Freya snorted and shook her head.

"I've been stuck here for a week and a half while Dad and Grandpa have shouting matches over how this is supposed to go," She tossed a coil of rope on the bed, "Of course I'm itchy."

"Having attended most of the shouting matches, yes, I'm aware." Ariela said dryly, raising one sandy eyebrow. She knew the waiting a week and a half wasn't the only reason Freya was rearing to get out of here.

"Sounded like they were pretty impressive," Freya shrugged, "But either way, it gets me out of here."

"Running from something?" Freya froze at the girl's question, shoulders tight and breath hitched. Finally, she let her shoulders drop and began to breathe.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Please don't lie to me," Ariela fixed her with a stare, "I'm not dumb."

"Is there something you want to add?" Freya's voice was deadly level as she turned around. Ariela scanned her face and internally sighed; she wasn't going to get anywhere with Freya today. Not now, anyways.

"Just be careful, okay? Things are getting weird around here and I'm beginning to wonder if there's a difference from up and down anymore. I can't be the only one feeling that way."

"You can say that again," Freya sighed, tossing her hair, "And it doesn't help that this place has gotten so….. depressing."

"Considering we know what we do now, you can't really judge anyone for that."

"No, not really….." Freya scanned the mess on her bed once more, "I swear I feel like I'm forgetting something….."

"Have you thought about how you're going to do everything?" Ariela moved to stand beside her, "How are you going to mark where you've been and where you haven't?"

She squeaked as Freya grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around.

"_You_ are a genius," Freya released her, only to grab her again as she staggered, "Care to help me with that?"

"I'm really not the person to talk to about that… Maybe someone else?"

"Either way, you're coming with me since it was your idea."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ariela asked quietly, "I'm not exactly-"

"It'll be fine."

"But-"

"Fine."

"Still-"

"Fiiiiiiine."

"Oh, very well…"

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Hiccup cracked the door to Freya's room and peered inside.

The girl was curled under her covers, an arm tucked under her pillow and a sleepy frown on her face. At the foot of her bed was her bag, neatly packed and strapped shut. Beside it, clothes were folded nicely on top of her boots and her bow, unstrung, was resting by her quiver.

He felt bad waking her, but she needed to get an early start if she wanted to make any progress today. He walked across the room and sat at the edge of her bed, hand lightly touching her shoulder.

"Hey you," He shook lightly and she groaned, flipping her pillow over her head, "If you want to get out of here in a timely manner, you need to get moving."

"Nooooo…" Freya tugged the blanket up to cover her head as well.

"I'll get Toothless."

"'M goin', m' goin'….." She muttered, sitting up, her blanket over her head.

"I'll get some breakfast started."

"Mleh." Freya threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, blanket wrapped around her like a hooded cloak. She drifted past him, bouncing off her doorframe with a grumpy snarl. He smiled as he heard another indignant sound that accompanied the colliding with a wall. Her footsteps tromped down the stairs, then there as silence. Hiccup waited, his head cocked so he could hear.

Suddenly, the grinding sound of the table across the floor echoed up the stairs, followed by the loud and creative idiolect of a girl with stubbed toes.

No matter what happened, some things never changed.

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Freya yawned and stretched, her wrists popping as she rotated them. The sky to the east had just started to smudge with light and the air had a chilly bite to it.

"Got everything?" Hiccup asked, glancing up at her from Toothless' flight gear.

"Mm," She nodded, allowing herself on more yawn, "So, where are we going?"

"That's up to you," He spread a blank outline of the island across Toothless' saddle, "Where do you want to go?"

Freya grimaced; she hated using her brain at this hour of the morning.

"Base of the mountain, on the far side?" She suggested with a shrug.

"So….. About here?" Hiccup pointed to a corner of the sketched island.

"Not quite the coast," She huddled next to her father, finger brushing the paper, "More like _here_, and I'll work my way outwards."

Hiccup twisted his mouth for a few seconds, crossing his arms. Eyes traveling across the paper, he made several 'hrmm's.

"Sounds like a deal," He nodded, "Think you can make it to here by sunset?" He pointed to a portion of the coast and Freya snorted.

"_Please_," She fixed him with a stare, "Who taught me to make good time?"

"Just making sure you aren't rusty." Hiccup shrugged, folding the map into sections and handing it to her, the area she was surveying at the top. Freya took it, fingers rubbing the rough paper before tucking it into her battered, oil-treated leather envelope. Checking to be sure she had plenty of charcoal, she stuffed it into her tunic.

"Okay," She gave her father a small smile, "Let's go."

"You ready, Bud?" Hiccup asked Toothless, who snorted and stared at him with an expression that asked if that was a serious question.

Hiccup strapped into his seat then helped Freya up behind him. She settled her weight and wrapped her arms around her father's waist, face pressed between his shoulder blades.

"Dad…"

"Mm?"

"Are you sure this is going to help?"

Hiccup twisted to see Freya in the half-light of morning, eyebrows knitted together.

"You okay?"

"Is what I'm doing going to help?"

"Yes," He stared at her incredulously, "What makes you think it won't?"

When she stared at his shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes, it became clear.

"Is everything a competition with you two?"

"He's helping with defenses! Building things! Conditioning us for what's coming! How am I supposed to hel-"

"Hey," Hiccup squeezed her knee, "Hey, easy. Yes, what Adrian is doing is important, but so is this. We need to know what we have to our advantage and disadvantage."

"But-"

"No." He said firmly, pinning her with a stare. When she sighed in defeat, he smiled. Giving him an annoyed glance, Freya blew some hair out of her face, no longer able to argue.

"You better prove it to me."

"I will," He promised, "Hang on."

Toothless launched skyward, pumping his wings to climb above the village. Below, Freya saw her mother standing at the guard tower, staring into the rising sun. Behind her, Adrian was glued to a piece of paper, her grandfather looming over his shoulder. A flash of crimson to her right told her that Snotlout was awake and on patrol, his Nightmare catching the thermals that drifted above the small island.

Finally at a good altitude, they turned towards the mountain and rode them around its snowy peak.

"Want to dive?" Hiccup asked and Freya felt a twist in her chest. Her only answer was to squeeze her father's shoulder, brief and firm.

An unspoken command went between dragon and man, and Toothless' wings tucked and his head went down. Freya's voice rang through the morning air, an overjoyed howl as the gravity made her stomach light and the wind ripped through her hair. Even the sight of the trees rushing up to greet them did nothing except fuel the ferocity inside her, making her father crack the smallest of smiles. Beneath them, Toothless opened his wings and threw them to the side, making a hard spin to the right. He took them close to the mountain, the rocky surface just inches from their heads. Hiccup pointed to a spot in the tree line, singling out a large pine that stood above the others. Toothless leveled and slowed their approach.

Freya edged back from her father and pulled on a pair of rough gloves, tying the wrists to keep them secure. Grabbing the edge of Toothless' saddle, she bunched her muscles and watched the tree as they quickly approached. Once they were only feet from, Freya launched herself, grabbing the top of the tree and pulling herself close. Her momentum gave her a full rotation around the treetop before she jammed her feet against a branch and came to a halt.

"You good?" Hiccup asked as Toothless flapped his wings quickly to hover.

Freya spat out a mouthful of leaves and shook her head to pull loose from any branches that may have caught in her braid.

"Golden," She grinned, then shook her perch, "Looks pretty sturdy and I should be able to get down easily enough."

"You're sure?"

"I'm going to be up here for a while anyways," She found a strong branch and straddled it, wrapping her legs around the tree trunk, "Have to start from the top and work my way down."

"Alright….." He gave her an exasperated smile. Toothless eyed the girl with a look that said she had better be careful, to which the girl's grin widened.

"You two are acting like you don't trust me." She shook her head, pulling a rope out of her bag and anchoring herself to her branch.

"Oh, I trust you," Hiccup's eyes narrowed, "I trust you to get into all kinds of trouble."

"Well, let's hope it's the good kind," Freya shrugged, "I've had my fill of the bad."

"The coast. Sunset. You promise?"

"Yes, Dad!" She threw her hands in the air, "I will be there!"

"You'd better be." He smiled at her and tapped Toothless on the dragon's broad head. With a final insistent snort in Freya's direction, Toothless pumped his wings and left the girl in a whirlwind of leaves and branches.

"Blehhh….." Freya made a note to herself to keep her mouth shut when she was dropped off next as she plucked some pine needles from her mouth. Either that, or avoid the pines.

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Freya rotated her right wrist, trying to make the sore feeling go away. She had to have been in this stupid tree for two hours. The sun had started pushing back the morning fog and was casting a golden glow over the forest and the ocean beyond it. She took a deep breath of the crisp air and exhaled, a plume of steam exiting her mouth. With her next breath, she shaped her mouth and exhaled again, a circle of steam formed and faded. The corner of her mouth twitched and she untied herself from the tree. Coiling the rope with the speed of practice, Freya tucked it into her bag and swung her leg over her branch.

It was hard to control her descent, but she managed it. Barely. Her gloves gripped each branch she grabbed better than her bare hands would and her boots found places to plant themselves to give her the time to find more handholds.

"Next time, I'll just walk, thinking about it," She snarled to no one in particular, "No leaves in the mouth, no crazy branches to- " She was cut off as her foot slipped and sent her rocketing to the ground.

Hitting the first branch hurt enough, but the second, third and fourth were just insult to injury. To be honest, she was lucky that this had happened when she was close to the ground, and that the ground had been covered in moss. She could live with that. If her head would stop ringing and she could breathe properly again.

Once she'd managed to reorient herself, Freya sat up with a groan. Her chest was killing her from where she'd hit that first branch, but she was pretty sure she'd live. Grabbing a handful of moss in front of her, Freya pulled herself forward to her knees and tried not to whimper as her chest throbbed.

Somewhere to her right, a stick snapped and she was upright, knife in hand. There was a rustling in the leaves and the sound of mass running through the brush, but it led away from her. Freya let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"That was uncomfortable," She muttered, wincing as she leaned forward with her hands on her knees, "I'm done with surprises for this lifetime."

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Hopefully you guys will find this chapter to your liking. I'm still not a fan of bridge chapters….

Anyways, let's see if I can keep up this run and bust out more chapters for you guys!

As always, read, enjoy and review!


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